The Melbourne Shrine

The Shrine of Remembrance was built between July 1928 and November 1934 in remembrance of those 114,000 men and women of Victoria who served and those who died in the Great War of 1914-1918. 89,100 of them served overseas and 19,000 did not return.

The people of Victoria felt that their debt to these volunteers, who had defended them at such great costs to themselves and their families, should be recognised by a worthy permanent monument of remembrance.

Although the country was faced with frightful unemployment and financial difficulty in the late 1920s and the 1930s, so great was the gratitude of the people that the huge amount required to build the Shrine was raised or promised within six months from the opening of the appeal in 1928.

The design for the Shrine of Remembrance was selected by competition among Australian artists and architects; 83 designs were submitted and the winning design was by two Melbourne returned-soldier architects, Peter Hudson and James Wardrop.

The inspiration for the external outline came from one of the seven wonders of the ancient world - the mausoleum at Harlicarnassus to Mausolus, King of Caria in S.W. Asia Minor.

A special feature of the Shrine is the

Ray of Light.

Thanks to the combined skills of the astronomer, the mathematician and the surveyor the Ray of Light falls on 'LOVE' on the Stone of Remembrance at 11 a.m. on the 11th of November and will continue to do so for 5,000 years at least.

The time and date commemorate Armistice (meaning a stay of armed conflict), which marks the end of hostilities in the Great War.

		After World War 2 a memorial forecourt in the shape of a non-denominational cross of sacrifice was added and this included three flagpoles, the eternal flame and cenotaph (see photo,left).

		A water garden on the western slope of the Shrine grounds commemorates the armed conflicts in, Malaya, Borneo, Korea, Vietnam, and Kuwait.

The Shrine is open to the public every day (except Christmas Day and Easter Friday).

By agreement, officers for the Protective Security Division of the Victoria Police Force provide 24 hour guard for the Shrine and the Reserve. They are referred to in the Regulations as "members of the Victoria Police Force".

In addition to their duties as members of the Victoria Police Force, they are specifically empowered by the Regulations to enforce them in the manner therein set out. At present, during the hours the Shrine is open to the public or in use for any ceremony, occasion, pilgrimage or visit, they wear a uniform representing an Australian Light Horseman of World War 1 with appropriate Victoria Police Force/ PSO insignia.

Over 30 voluntary guides give up their time to conduct educational tours of the Shrine and surrounding memorials.