Sacred soil placed in newly dedicated Flanders Memorial Garden

Sacred soil taken from the battlefields and war cemeteries across the Flanders region of Belgium, in which lie the remains of more than 13,000 Australians, was placed in a new memorial garden today at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.

The soil was mixed with that collected by the Returned and Services League from significant military heritage sites in each Australian state and territory.

Half the Australians who died during the bloody fighting in Flanders in 1917 have no known grave. For decades afterwards, “Passchendaele”, the name of the village which so many had died to capture, became, in the words of Australian official historian Charles Bean, “one to shudder at.”

The Flanders Memorial Garden sits within a formal grass court in the Memorial’s Western Precinct. It is constructed from Portland Stone – the same stone used on the arch and in the commemorative panels of the Menin Gate in Belgium. The text from John McCrae’s famous poem In Flanders Fields is inscribed on the low stone walls.

Memorial Director Dr Brendan Nelson said the garden honours the enduring partnership between Australia and Belgium, and commemorates those who lost their lives 100 years ago.

“In the Great War, these men and women gave their lives for Australia, the ideals of mankind, and the hope of a better world. A centenary gift from the people of Flanders, the Garden is a reminder of the eternal truths by which we live, and the lives given for them,” Dr Nelson said.

“As the 'Unknown Australian Soldier' represents the bringing home of the physical remains of all Australians, the returning of this sacred soil symbolises their spiritual homecoming.”

Yesterday afternoon, members of Australia's Federation Guard transported five hand-crafted boxes containing the sacred Flanders soil from the Memorial forecourt and into the Commemorative Area.

The boxes were placed in the Hall of Memory, adjacent to the Tomb of the Unknown Australian Soldier, where they remained in symbolic vigil overnight.

Made from Tasmanian Blackwood, the same timber used to make the coffin of the Unknown Australian Soldier; the boxes were collected this morning by Australia’s Federation Guard and taken to the ceremony, where the soil was placed in the garden.

The Memorial gratefully acknowledges the support of the Flemish government, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, the Australian Embassies of Brussels and Paris and the professional workmanship of construction company Built.

The full order of service from this morning’s dedication is attached.