The Royal Australian Air Force Memorial

PUBLIC

The Royal Australian Air Force Memorial

The Royal Australian Air Force Memorial. Per Ardua ad Astra—Through Struggle to the Stars. Soaring to a height of almost eight metres, the national memorial to the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) honours the service and sacrifice of the men and women who have served in the RAAF and its predecessor, the Australian Flying Corps.

It was the second memorial to be erected on Anzac Parade and unveiled in 1973 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the formation of the RAAF. The sculpture, by Inge King, won the Memorial’s design competition in 1970.

It was enhanced in 2002 by three polished granite walls. Using archival images, the artwork depicts the dedication and valour of the men and women of the RAAF who have served Australia and traces the major war episodes from 1915 to the present.

The RAAF is one of the world’s oldest independent air forces, established in 1921—just three years after the first, the (British) Royal Air Force. Australian pilots were on active service in 1914 in New Guinea, and in 1915 the Australian Flying Corps was fighting in Mesopotamia (Iraq).

By 1918, squadrons were also in action on the Western Front in France. During World War II the RAAF served with distinction in the Middle East, Britain and the Pacific. The RAAF also served in the Malayan, Korean and Vietnam conflicts and, more recently, RAAF personnel have served in the Gulf War, East Timor and numerous peacekeeping operations.

The artist for the RAAF Memorial stage 2 was Robert Boynes. Our role was to develop the design, document the project and make it buildable, call tenders and manage the construction for the NCA National Capital Authority.

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