A Memorial for all gunners, past, present and future
Our Vision
A Memorial that tells the story of all Australian Gunners past, present and future
To deliver an extension to the Memorial by the end of 2026 so that the service of all Australian gunners is recognised, honoured and commemorated
Our Mission
Our Values
Focus - we will keep to the task we have been set
Excellence - we will deliver an extension that makes gunners proud
Economy - we will deliver good value for money
Flexibility - we will be adaptable, innovative and agile
Collaboration - we will work collegiately and with all our stakeholders
About the Project
The service of Australian gunners is commemorated by the Royal Australian Artillery National Memorial, which stands atop Mt Pleasant in Canberra. The Memorial was unveiled by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on 9 March 1977. It features panels that recognise service in campaigns from the Sudan to South Vietnam, but it is silent on the contribution of gunners over the past 50 years, and there is no space for additional panels. This shortcoming leaves many younger members of the gunner community feeling they have been forgotten.
The Royal Regiment has initiated a project to address this issue. The project will extend the Memorial to provide panels for six contemporary campaigns and operations and allow for the easy addition of further panels in the future. The extension will bridge the gap between historical and contemporary service, telling the story of all Australian gunners, past, present and future, and ensuring that they are honoured and recognised. The project aligns with the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide by contributing to the mental well-being and social inclusion of serving soldiers and veterans. The Regiment intends that the updated Memorial will be re-dedicated in 2027 to coincide with the 50th anniversary year of its original unveiling.
Funding the extension will be heavily reliant on the generosity of donors and supporters.
The project will achieve meaningful and measurable impacts, particularly in:
Fostering a sense of belonging by enhancing the Memorial as a space where all Defence members and veterans, but especially, gunners, feel represented, acknowledged, and connected.
Promoting mental well-being by providing a dedicated space for healing and reflection, contributing to improved mental health outcomes for Defence members and veterans.
Enhancing community engagement by strengthening public awareness and understanding of military service, encouraging greater community support and helping to link Defence members and veterans to the community from which they are drawn.
The story of the Royal Regiment of Australian Artillery National Memorial
The Memorial’s stone outer wall is symbolic of the early forts that defended many of the ports of the Australian colonies. The central Memorial plinth incorporates the Regimental badge and commemorative and descriptive plaques. The plinth in flanked by two rifled muzzle-loading 64 pounder guns, which were originally a part of the Sydney Harbour defences.
Inside the wall there are eight panels listing the wars and campaigns in which Australian gunners had served at the time of the Memorial’’s construction. These are flanked at each end with the panels bearing one of the Regiment’s mottos, and its Battle Honour: Ubique (Everywhere). The site of the Memorial was selected because it is a designated saluting location and gun salutes are still fired from the Memorial site.
The current Memorial was conceived by Major General John Whitelaw, AO CBE. The RAA National Committee, comprising Whitelaw as chair and Colonels Commandant from each state, raised funds through tax-deductible donations and an Art Union. A formal proposal was submitted to the National Memorials Committee in September 1975, and construction was completed 18 months later
Gold Business Benefactors $25,000 +
Silver Business Benefactors $10,000 -> $25,000
The Royal Australian Artillery's Representative Colonel Commandant, MAJGEN Craig Furini, recently presented the RAA National Memorial Extension Project certificate of appreciation to Mr John Fry, Managing Director of Kongsberg Defence Australia, in recognition of Kongsberg's generous donation of $15,000 to the project. This is the first in what the Memorial extension project team hopes is a series of major donations from the business sector. Support such as this will add significantly to the project's fundraising total as the team focusses on the drive to reach its goal of $500,000. As former Gunner officers, both John and Doug Mallett, the Head of Business Development at Kongsberg Defence Australia, appreciate the importance of the Memorial in recognising the service and sacrifice of Australian Gunners in campaigns and operations up to 1977. Through this generous donation they have now led the way in demonstrating their support for plans to extend the Memorial to ensure it includes the campaigns and operations on which Gunners have served over the last 50 years, with capacity to also include those that may follow. On behalf of the Regimental Committee, the officers and soldiers of the RAA, both serving and retired, the Gunners extends its sincere gratitude to Kongsberg Defence Australia
Bronze Business Benefactors $0 -> $10,000
Individual and Family Benefactors
Nick Ullin
Bill Reid
Geoffrey Hay
Craig Furini
Steve Mathers
Benny Gray
Greg Bilton
Ash Power
Thomas Dunne
Arlen Wendt
Frank Colley
Peter Smith
Joanna Topfer
Bob McEvoy
Gavin Ross
Chris Hunter
Peter Robinson
Edward Jackson
Warren Tapp
Steven Cathcart
N L Whitelaw
Ken Murphy
James Groves
Nick Floyd
Mary Kingsford
James Kerr
Samuel O’Neal
Mike Crane
Peter Lawrence
Matt White
John Cox
RAA Officers’ Association Tasmania
Aaron Foster
Saiful Bashar
David Edwards
Jack Hatton
Shaun Montgomery
News and Social Media
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National Memorial Project
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Deputy Regiment Master Gunner Address
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Army Newspaper
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Representative Colonel COmmandant Address
FAQs
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The Memorial was opened and dedicated by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 1977 and commemorates the service and sacrifice of RAA personnel in wars and campaigns since 1885. It is silent on the campaigns and operations since that time which has left some veterans and serving personnel feeling that their service and sacrifice is not valued. The RAA intends to address this by extending the Memorial to include the major campaigns and operations from the last 50 years. By doing so it also addresses key recommendations from the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide.
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Initial estimates indicate the cost of constructing Memorial extension will be $460,000. The team is taking every opportunity to reduce that figure. Greater clarity is anticipated when the structural engineering diagrams have been completed enabling refinement of these estimates.
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The project team is exploring several options for in-kind support, but it seems likely that most of the cost will need to be met through fundraising. The team plans to seek public grants and is exploring the potential for other grants from relevant philanthropic bodies. In parallel, the team has developed a comprehensive plan to solicit support from the corporate sector. Beyond this, the project will be reliant on the generosity of donors and other supporters to raise the balance of the required funds.
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The project team envisages that 2025 and early 2026 will be spent in fundraising, seeking approvals and development of tender documents, with the balance of 2026 taken up by the tender process, construction and certification. While the team aims to hand the updated Memorial back to the RAA by the end of 2026, there is some flexibility in that there are several dates in 2027 that would be appropriate for a re-dedication ceremony.
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The project team benefits significantly from the generous support and assistance of the Royal Australian Artillery Historical Company and the Australian Artillery Association. The Royal Australian Engineers have provided architectural, structural engineering and design authority support as well as technical advice. The engineering faculty at UNSW has also assisted and provided their expertise to the team. We are extremely grateful for the ongoing support from all these organisations.
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Generating maximum support for the project and encouraging everyone to make a donation are key elements to the success of the Memorial extension project. Broadcasting to the widest network what the team is doing, and why, will ensure people understand the importance of the project. We must raise sufficient capital to extend the Memorial to include commemorate the service and sacrifice of contemporary Gunners over the last 50 years.
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Join the Face Book pages of the Royal Australian Artillery, the Royal Australian Artillery Historical Company, the Australian Artillery Association, and the RSL (Australia). You can also visit their websites. Look out for articles in Defence newspapers and associated e-newsletters. There will also be emails, with attached information sheets or links, from the project team to RAA Associations across the country.
About Us
The Project Team
-Regimental Committee’s Representative: Major General Michael Crane DSC and Bar, AO
-Project Manager: Lieutenant Colonel Matt White
-Chief of Staff: Colonel Charles Weller
-Finance and Fundraising: Captain Andi Dimmock
-Project advisor: Major (Retd) Darryl Kelly
Contact Us
Email: RAANM2027@gmail.com
Postal Address: PO Box 7225, Duffy, 2611, ACT