Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...

's National Police Memorial is in the national capital,

Canberra Canberra ( ) is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The ci ...

, in King's Park on the northern shore of

Lake Burley Griffin Lake Burley Griffin is an artificial lake in the centre of Canberra, the capital of Australia. It was completed in 1963 after the Molonglo River, which ran between the city centre and Parliamentary Triangle, was dammed. It is named after Wal ...

adjacent to the National Carillon on Aspen Island. It commemorates Australian police who have died on duty.

Design

The two key elements of the design are: * a bronze commemorative wall with 'touchstone plaques' carrying the name and rank, date of death (day, month and year), and place of death, of

police The police are a Law enforcement organization, constituted body of Law enforcement officer, persons empowered by a State (polity), state, with the aim to law enforcement, enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citize ...

officers who have died whilst on active duty; * a large stone paved area or 'terrain' across which visitors move to gain access to the wall. The surface of the touchstone wall is clad in cast

bronze Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals, such as phosphorus, or metalloids suc ...

panels with a slight textural feel and a dark patina. The surface of the cladding is smooth enough to allow the patina to have a gloss wax finish. The touchstones are also cast bronze but have a golden, almost polished patina, that will change over time with the degree to which each stone is touched. There are 1200 touchstones, which is meant to symbolise the ongoing danger for police on duty. The 'terrain' tilts to direct visitors to the wall, with undulations that is intended to create "an uncertainty in experience and reflects the uncertain path that police tread in the performance of their duty." The design also incorporates elements acknowledging

Saint Michael Michael (; he, מִיכָאֵל, lit=Who is like El od, translit=Mīḵāʾēl; el, Μιχαήλ, translit=Mikhaḗl; la, Michahel; ar, ميخائيل ، مِيكَالَ ، ميكائيل, translit=Mīkāʾīl, Mīkāl, Mīkhāʾīl), also ...

, the

patron saint A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholicism, Anglicanism, or Eastern Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or perso ...

of policing. Access roads have been constructed from King's Avenue, joining to the previous the lakeside road.

Design competition

A competition for the design was sponsored by the Australasian Police Ministers' Council (APMC), launched on 2 March 2005 by Senator

Christopher Ellison Christopher Michael Ellison (born 16 December 1946 in St Pancras, London) is an English actor. He is best known for his role as DCI Frank Burnside in the ITV police series ''The Bill'' and short-lived spin-off series '' Burnside''. Education ...

, the Federal Minister for Justice and Customs. 77 entries were submitted by its close on 29 April 2005. The memorial cost A$2.4 million. The winning entry was by Fairweather Proberts Architects (

Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Queensland, and the third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of approximately 2.6 million. Brisbane lies at the centre of the South ...

National Police Memorial Project Dedication Team

The Australian Federal Police Recognition and Ceremonial Team were given the honour in managing the Dedication Project.

Dedication of the NPM

The Memorial was officially dedicated by Hon.

John Howard John Winston Howard (born 26 July 1939) is an Australian former politician who served as the 25th prime minister of Australia from 1996 to 2007, holding office as leader of the Liberal Party. His eleven-year tenure as prime minister is the ...

Prime Minister of Australia The prime minister of Australia is the head of government of the Commonwealth of Australia. The prime minister heads the executive branch of the federal government of Australia and is also accountable to federal parliament under the princip ...

, on 29 September 2006, National Police Remembrance Day. The Master of Ceremonies was

Ita Buttrose Ita Clare Buttrose (born 17 January 1942) is an Australian TV network chairperson, television and radio personality, author and former magazine editor, publishing executive and newspaper journalist. She was the founding editor of '' Cleo'', a ...

. More than 700 police from all states and the

Australian Federal Police The Australian Federal Police (AFP) is the national and principal federal law enforcement agency of the Australian Government with the unique role of investigating crime and protecting the national security of the Commonwealth of Australia. ...

were gathered for the official opening, the first time since the opening of Old Parliament House in 1927 that there had been such a mass gathering of Australian police in Canberra.

Death of Constable Joseph Luker

The first policeman to die on duty was Constable Joseph Luker, aged 38, who died on 26 August 1803, after being bludgeoned to death when

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mounta ...

was only 15 years old.

Death of Sergeant Colin McKenzie

NSW Police Force members have suffered the largest losses of all Australian Police Forces, and to that end the last Australian Police Officer to die on duty before the official dedication was New South Wales Police Force Sergeant Colin McKenzie, aged 50, who died on 28 September 2006, the eve of the official opening, after falling ill at the Dedication rehearsal session at the National Police Memorial in Canberra. This 30-year veteran

New South Wales Police Force The New South Wales Police Force (NSW Police Force; previously the New South Wales Police Service and New South Wales Police) is the primary law enforcement agency of the state of New South Wales, Australia. Divided into Police Area Commands (P ...

policeman complained to colleagues of feeling ill, then collapsed and died. In memory of the Sergeant, Sergeant McKenzie's cap was carried by a NSW Police Force Sergeant on a cushion, leading the NSW Police Force Contingent in the march from Old Parliament House to the NPM in Kings Park, Canberra in a moving tribute.

External links

National Capital Authority The National Capital Authority (NCA) is a statutory authority of the Australian Government that was established to manage the Commonwealth's interest in the planning and development of Canberra as the capital city of Australia. Timeline of the ...

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(PDF) {{coord, 35.299, S, 149.144, E, type:landmark_region:AU-ACT, display=title Landmarks in Canberra Law enforcement memorials Monuments and memorials in the Australian Capital Territory 2006 establishments in Australia Tourist attractions in Canberra Law enforcement in Australia