Peter Corlett's Simpson and his donkey, 1915, bronze. ART40993

The Memorial opened its Sculpture Garden in January 1999. The Garden is located to the west of the main building and offers a place for quiet contemplation of the sacrifice of the many Australians who have died in war.

Throughout the grounds are major commemorative works, including sculptures such as Simpson and his donkey, Australian serviceman, and Sir Edward "Weary" Dunlop, a work commemorating the medical staff who came to the aid of Australian prisoners of war in the Pacific in the Second World War.

The Garden contains memorials to the British Commonwealth Occupation Force, Australian servicewomen, Australian Merchant Seamen, Bomber Command and Sandakan. There are also many plaques in memory of particular units.

One of Canberra's best loved icons, Sir Bertram Mackennal's War (or Bellona, as it is better known) is located near the Lone Pine tree. This tree was raised from one of the seeds of a pine cone sent home by an Australian soldier at Gallipoli to his mother. It was planted at the Memorial in 1934 in memory of all the sons of Australia who fell at Lone Pine.

 

Read more

• Dennis Adams, Survivors
• Peter Corlett, Simpson and his donkey, 1915
• Neil Dawson, Bomber Command memorial
• Ray Ewers, Australian Serviceman
• Anne Ferguson, Australian servicewomen's memorial
• Anne Ferguson, Sandakan memorial
• Steven Holland, Animals in war memorial
• Sir Bertram Mackennal, War
• Paul Montford, Patriotism
• Rabaul and Montevideo Maru memorial
• The Lone Pine tree encyclopedia entry
• Sculpture at the Australian War Memorial: the Shaping memory exhibition