Maintenance & Restoration of War Memorials

No single organisation is responsible for, or indeed capable of, maintaining the thousands of war memorials to Australians, within Australia itself and overseas.

Maintenance within Australia

War memorials within Australia are normally under the control or care of the local authorities or local ex-service organisation where the memorial is situated. This includes the State memorials.

If you have a query or concern regarding a war memorial in Australia, these bodies are the best place to begin your enquiries.

See: Information about State memorials

Maintenance overseas

Official Australian overseas war memorials are the responsibility of the Office of Australian War Graves (OAWG).

These memorials are maintained on a regular basis and a program of specific works is drawn up each year to cover major repairs, enhancements and new projects. Any urgent repairs are seen to as soon as possible.

If you become aware that one of these overseas war memorials is in need of immediate attention, please contact us.

Apart from official overseas war memorials, there are many privately constructed memorials to Australians overseas. Their maintenance is the responsibility of those who constructed them. Limited Groverment grants are available to assist in this endevour.

See:

Restoration

Regional war memorials play a vital role as focal points for community commemoration. To ensure that the community is fully served, Saluting Their Service commemorations grants are, subject to eligibility requirements, available to restore, preserve, upgrade and improve access to community war memorials and also to build new memorials where none exists and the memorial will be the focus of community commemoration.

If your local war memorial is in need of repair or your community does not have an easily accessible war memorial, a commemorations grant may be the answer.

Note: These grants are not available for general maintenance or to reimburse expenses already outlaid.

See: Commemorations grants

Cleaning the Australian War Memorial, London

Refurbishing Popondetta Memorial, PNG

Work on the pond at Sandakan Memorial, Malaysia