What is the significance of the shrine of remembrance

Conceived as the National War Memorial of Victoria to honour the men and women who served the Empire in the Great War of , and especially the 19 who died, the Shrine was opened and dedicated by a son of the King, the Duke of Gloucester, on Armistice Remembrance Day, 11 November Some people, one-third of Melbourne's population, are estimated to have attended.

By extension and rededication the Shrine also commemorates those who served in World War II and later conflicts. After the end of World War I there was much public debate about the form the war memorial should take: should it be a utilitarian structure, such as a school or hospital, or a symbolic memorial?

In a civic committee decided to hold a competition for a non-utilitarian memorial, to be paid for mainly by public subscription. The design rekindled the debate, but the indecision and prevarication ended in , when Monash gave his imprimatur to both the principle of a memorial and the winning design.

The building of the Shrine took seven years, during which many ex-servicemen worked on the building or its approaches as depression sustenance labourers. The architecture draws on the Parthenon at Athens and the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus. The northern tympanum represents 'the Call to Arms' and the southern 'the Homecoming'.

The east wall is inscribed: 'This monument was erected by a grateful people to the honoured memory of the men and women of Victoria who served the Empire in the great war of '.

As the historian Ken Inglis has observed, this is a building with a text for a secular, civil religion. The sole Christian text occurs on the stone of remembrance within the Shrine, which has been described not as a temple, cenotaph an empty tomb or military memorial, but as a place of remembrance. By definition a shrine is a sacred place, though the focus of this shrine is neither relics nor statuary, but a stark, black marble stone of remembrance contained in the sanctuary and inscribed 'Greater love hath no man'.

Sunk below the floor level, out of reach of pilgrim visitors, who must bow their heads to read the inscription, the stone is said to represent the final resting place of those who died in service. Sixteen surrounding black marble pillars are surmounted by twelve bas-reliefs by Lyndon Dadswell showing the heroic deeds of the armed services, and a pyramidal dome soars above. Today the Shrine places a high priority on education and interpretation.

Through commemoration, exhibitions and public programs, the Shrine continues to honour Victorian service and sacrifice and uphold and reinforce the values we associate with the original ANZACs.

Skip to main content. Home History of the Shrine. History of the Shrine. The Shrine of Remembrance was built to provide a place to grieve and remember Victorians killed in the First World War Built during the gold rush, this heritage icon is now a museum of Melbourne history. Slide 1 of 4 Slide 2 of 4 Slide 3 of 4 Slide 4 of 4.

Shrine of Remembrance Free Heritage listed. Guided Tours Delve deeper into the Shrine on a minute tour, led by an expert guide. Guided tours run daily on the hour except midday. Dates and times Day Times Monday 10am - 5pm 10am - 5pm Tuesday 10am - 5pm 10am - 5pm Wednesday 10am - 5pm 10am - 5pm Thursday 10am - 5pm 10am - 5pm Friday 10am - 5pm 10am - 5pm Saturday 10am - 5pm 10am - 5pm Sunday 10am - 5pm 10am - 5pm.

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