Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Goodwood Road, Pasadena, South Australia.

The South Australian Garden of Remembrance Commemorates those servicemen and women who died in South Australia and whose graves cannot be properly commemorated or were cremated and their ashes scattered.

The South Australian Garden of Remembrance is situated within the Centennial Park Cemetery, within the garden it has a capacity to hold 30,000 plaques and stands adjacent to the Derrick Gardens (with the Cross of Sacrifice).

A peaceful and tranquil setting is created through the use of water features, a reflection pool and a channel that runs the length of the garden.

It features 36 walls displaying the names of around 18,500 servicemen and women who died in South Australia.

The original garden was constructed in the early 1960s.

In the late 1980s it was decided to relocate the garden, and the present site was officially opened by the then Minister for Veterans' Affairs, the Hon. Ben Humphreys MP, on 18 March 1988.

On the approach road to the garden, and adjacent to the car park, there are replicas of an aeroplane propeller, a ship's wheel and a gun carriage wheel. These represent the three services - Air Force, Navy and Army.

Upon entering the garden through the entrance building, an opening plaque is on the left hand wall. The entry building also houses the register books which list the wall and row number of each individual plaque.

Upon passing through the entry building, the reflection pool and a large dedication plaque can be seen. From here a pathway leads into the garden itself. Running through the centre of the pathway is a water course which extends the length of the garden. The water feature passes through a central gazebo and culminates in a fountain. On each side of the main walkway are the commemorative walls. The perimeter of the garden is flanked by trees.

In the centre of the garden is a large contemplation area where visitors can rest.

This Garden of Remembrance is maintained by the Office of Australian War Graves within the Department of Veterans' Affairs.

Thank you to the DVA for their information.

Sourced and submitted by Julianne T Ryan.  17/3/2015.  Lest we forget.