Annual Reports Contents >> DVA Annual Report >> Our Performance >> Output 3.2—Office of Australian War Graves

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Output 3.2—Office of Australian War Graves

Objective

• To commemorate, individually, the sacrifice of those Australian men and women who gave their lives during war, or who have died post-war as a result of their war service and to maintain those commemorations in perpetuity; and
• to construct and maintain major memorials at significant locations where Australians have suffered and died.

Table 49: performance information for Output 3.2 as at June 2002

Measure: number of memorials completed

In 2001–02 OAWG was advised of the eligibility of 8395 veterans. By June 2002, 5906 war graves memorial forms had been returned, of which 273 did not require a memorial. The total number of memorials completed for the year was 8117. This figure includes memorials that were ordered prior to the end of 2000–01 but completed during 2001–02. As in previous years, a large number of forms were not returned and these were followed up with a reminder letter, resulting in a large number of Garden of Remembrance plaques being requested by telephone.

Table 50: number of memorials completed

Measure: average cost per memorial item

Table 51: average cost per item

Measure: high level of community and veteran satisfaction

OAWG receives some 15 letters and telephone calls of appreciation per week from next-of-kin in respect of memorials completed.

Measure: information service activities

There continues to be interest in the location of graves and memorials overseas for Australian war dead. Errors detected on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) Debt of Honour website at www.cwgc.org are passed to CWGC on a monthly basis. Requests for permission to use the service emblem remain high. OAWG relies on the CWGC to provide photographs of war graves and cemeteries overseas and some delays have been experienced in receiving photographs.

Table 52: information service activities

Measure: number of memorials maintained

Table 53: memorials maintained

Note: where the remains of a war casualty have been recently identified, for practical reasons the name remains on the Memorials to the Missing.
Measure: departmental cost per memorial

The cost per memorial is based on the annual structural and horticultural maintenance of 70 war cemeteries in Australia and three war cemeteries in Papua New Guinea. Typical war cemetery maintenance includes: the mowing of lawns; the weeding of headstone and perimeter garden beds; the pruning of roses and the care of other plantings; the maintenance or replacement of the white Ulam marble headstones; and repairs to structures such as Crosses of Sacrifice. Maintenance of post-war memorials includes the cleaning of bronze plaques, the removal of moss and lichens from grave kerbing and the repair of any failing graves. In 2001–02, the average cost of maintaining a memorial was $15 compared with $13 in 2000–01.

Measure: performance against published standards

Each year the number of new post-war commemorations completed is added to the maintenance of existing war and post-war memorials. Maintenance is undertaken in perpetuity and therefore will not diminish.

Because of the need to maintain the increasing number of OAWG assets to a high standard, contracts have been let to maintain country war cemeteries and post-war memorials in the metropolitan areas of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. Contracts have also been let for the Hunter region of NSW, further areas of Melbourne, the Gladstone, Maryborough and Bundaberg areas, northern New South Wales, north-west Tasmania and the Gulf of Carpentaria, Queensland. The original maintenance contracts for the Hunter region of NSW and Sydney metropolitan area expired in 2001and were re-let for a further two years in 2002.

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