The Mount Macedon Memorial Cross is a heritage-listed

war memorial A war memorial is a building, monument, statue, or other edifice to celebrate a war or victory, or (predominating in modern times) to commemorate those who died or were injured in a war. Symbolism Historical usage It has ...

at 405 Cameron Drive,

Mount Macedon Mount Macedon ( Aboriginal Woiwurrung language: ''Geboor'' or ''Geburrh'') is a dormant volcano that is part of the Macedon Ranges of the Great Dividing Range, located in the Central Highlands region of Victoria, Australia. The mountain has ...

, Macedon Ranges Shire,

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

, Australia. It is also known as the Cameron Memorial Cross. It was listed on the

Victorian Heritage Register The Victorian Heritage Register (VHR) lists places deemed to be of cultural heritage significance to the State of Victoria, Australia. It has statutory weight under the Heritage Act 2017. The Minister for Planning is the responsible Minister. H ...

on 1 September 1994.

History

The Mount Macedon Memorial Cross was planned and constructed for local land owner William Cameron. In addition to desiring to honour the war dead of

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, Cameron wanted to create employment during the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

. On Saturday 16 March 1935, the Victorian Premier,

Stanley Argyle Sir Stanley Seymour Argyle KBE, MRCS, LRCP (4 December 1867 – 23 November 1940), was an Australian doctor, radiologist, businessman, and politician. Argyle was the former Leader of the Opposition, Treasurer and Premier of Victoria, achievi ...

, officially dedicated the memorial to the Australian service people killed in the First World War. Over 400 people attended the ceremony despite the bitter wind and rain. The monument cost which was paid by William Cameron except for contributed by Gisborne Shire Council. Although it withstood lightning strikes and bushfires over the years, eventually the cross's internal steel structure weakened and was assessed as being at risk of falling down. After a number of years of planning, in 1995 the monument was replaced with a visually identical replica but was constructed with solid

reinforced concrete Reinforced concrete (RC), also called reinforced cement concrete (RCC) and ferroconcrete, is a composite material in which concrete's relatively low tensile strength and ductility are compensated for by the inclusion of reinforcement having hig ...

which is expected to be longer lasting.

Description

The cross is in a reserve near the summit of Mount Macedon and is reached by a access road. The cross is high with a plinth and rests on a circular base in diameter. It is constructed of pale yellow Wunderlich terracotta tiles on a steel base. It can be seen from a great distance from the plains below the mountain. A tablet on the monument has the words: "To the glory of God and in memory of Australia's sons, 1914-1918. Death cannot rob them of their glory nor time efface the memory of their gallant deeds."

Significance

War memorial at Mount Macedon after the 1983 Ash Wednesday bushfires

The Mount Macedon (Cameron) Memorial Cross is important for spiritual, symbolic cultural and social reasons. The Cross is important as a memorial for those who lost their lives in the First World War and became for many a symbol of courage and survival after the 1983 Ash Wednesday bushfires. The war dead are commemorated at a dawn service held at the base of the cross on

Anzac Day , image = Dawn service gnangarra 03.jpg , caption = Anzac Day Dawn Service at Kings Park, Western Australia, 25 April 2009, 94th anniversary. , observedby = Australia Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Cook Islands New ...

each year. The size, simplicity of the design of the Cameron Memorial Cross, along with its siting on Mount Macedon, is a rare example of a memorial commemorating those who died in the First World War. It is able to demonstrate an association with an important event in Victoria's history, the First World War, and it demonstrates the use of particular material in the form of Wunderlich tiles which, because of their reflective nature, are able to enhance the simplicity and symbolism of the Cross, and enable it to be viewed from considerable distances. It is considered Victoria's most significant war memorial after the

Shrine of Remembrance The Shrine of Remembrance (commonly referred to as The Shrine) is a war memorial in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, located in Kings Domain on St Kilda Road. It was built to honour the men and women of Victoria who served in World War I, but ...

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

References

Attribution

This article contains material fro
Cameron Memorial Cross, Cameron Dr, Mount Macedon, VIC, Australia
published in the

Australian Heritage Database The Australian Heritage Database is a searchable online database of heritage sites in Australia. It is maintained by the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment , in consultation with Australian Heritage Council. There are more than ...

by the

Australian Government The Australian Government, also known as the Commonwealth Government, is the national government of Australia, a federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy. Like other Westminster-style systems of government, the Australian Government i ...

under CC-BY-4.0br>license
accessed 14 August 2018.

External links