Peace Monuments in Australia & New Zealand

Right click image to enlarge.

1920 - Peace Arch, Jackson Street, Petone, Lower Hutt, near Wellington (New Zealand). This arch is similar to arches which were apparently constructred in many different countries at the end of WW-I. Note light bulbs and flags of allied nations afixed to the arch.

Date? - Melbourne Unitarian Peace Memorial Church, Melbourne, Victoria (Australia). Founded in 1852. Most likely adopted "peace memorial" as part of its name after World War I. Church website says. "During the 'Great War,' the 'Great Depression' and the war against Nazism, the Melbourne Unitarian Church [sic] became increasingly involved and vocal on issues of social justice and peace. It was during this time that the Church developed the motto 'Seek the Truth, and Serve Humanity.'"

1922 - Kosai County Peace Memorial, Balcairn, Canterbury (New Zealand). "The Ashley on the building refers to the merging of the Kowai and Ashley Counties in 1967. Houses two plaques, one for Frst World War the other Second World War."

1922 - Geelong & District Peace Memorial Hall, Johnstone Park, Geelong, Victoria (Australia).

1944 - "Dona Nobis Pacem (Ralph Vaughan Williams)," Flether Trust Collection, Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington (New Zealand). Oil on canvas, 786 x 680 mm. "Rita Angus [1908-1970] admired the English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams [1972-1958], who taught her close friend Douglas Lilburn [1915-2001] in London in the late 1930s. Vaughan Williams was a well-known pacifist and composed the cantata Dona Nobis Pacem (Grant us peace) in 1936. Angus includes scenes from her own life. The apple branch symbolises the pacifist community at Riverside, where she may have had the idea for the painting. She sketched the deserted homestead at nearby Pangatotara. The blonde child on the beach might be Angus herself as a girl."

1986 - Canberra Peace Park, Canberra, Australian Capitol Territory (Australia). Established for UN International Year of Peace. Monument added in 1990.

1988 - Peace Monument, Bicentennial Park (north of the distinctive water feature), Sydney, New South Wales (Australia). Metal sculpture by artist Michael Kitching. Commissioned by the NSW government in 1986 to commemorate the UN International Year of Peace (qv).

Date? - Peace Boat Pavilion, Chinese Garden, Tumbalong Park, Darling Harbour, Sydney (Australia).

1988 - Brisbane Nepal Peace Pagoda, South Bank Parklands, Brisbane, Queensland (Australia). Created by the Kingdom of Nepal for Brisbane's World Expo '88. Relocated for the opening of the Parklands in 1992. Includes a peace bell & a peace post in the pagoda garden.

1992 - World Peace Bell (WPB), Cowra Civic Square, Cowra, New South Wales (Australia). One of several WPB's promoted by the World Peace Bell Foundation, Tokyo (Japan). There was a POW camp for Japanese and Italian military personnel in Cowra during World War II. On August 5, 1944 at least 545 Japanese POWs attempted a mass breakout from the camp, in perhaps the largest prison escape in world history. Japanese go there to visit the graves of family members.

February 23, 1993 - Rotary Peace Monument, Ivan Jack Drive, Wagga Wagga, New South Wales (Australia). First of a series of similar peace monuments erected by Rotary Clubs in several different countries. See Nobel Peace Walk constructed in 1996.

1994 - Peace Flame, Wellington Botanic Garden, Wellington (New Zealand). Stone lantern "holds a flame ignited by the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima. Presented by the Japanese people to New Zealand in honour of this country's unilateral steps to halt the spread of atomic weapons through its Anti-Nuclear Act."

1995 - Peace Window, St. Monica's Cathedral, Cairns, Queensland (Australia). Two flanking panels each 1.7 metres x 11 metres, and a central overhead panel of 3.5 metres x 7 metres. Commissioned to commemorate 50 years of peace in the Pacific region since the end of World War II. The Cathedral is dedicated to the Battle of the Coral Sea, fought due east of Cairns between the 4th and 8th of May in 1942.

1995 - Telstra Tower, Black Mountaian, Canberra, Australia Capital Territory (Australia). "A Sri Chinmoy Peace Tower." "'Sri Chinmoy Peace-Blossoms' are focal points for peace, reminders from our everyday lives to keep the flame of peace constantly alive in our hearts and minds. Over 1200 parks, trees, monuments, buildings, natural wonders, cities and nations have been dedicated to join this global family. Here in Canberra there are several diverse 'Sri Chinmoy Peace-Blossoms', which were joined together as a garland today with the World Harmony Run carrying the torch from one to the next. Not only are the Peace-Blossoms program and the World Harmony Run both inspired by Sri Chinmoy [1931-2007], they also share a common goal. So on this morning [May 13, 2008] with no formal commitments, it seemed appropriate to spend a few hours bringing the torch to each of the Peace-Blossom locations."

1995 - Sri Chinmoy Peace Marker, Cuba Street, Wellington (New Zealand). Plaque: "Wellington. A Sri Chinmoy Peace Capital. A world of peace and harmony has been humanity’s dream since time immemorial. In this spirit the peace-loving people of Wellington are proud to dedicate their graceful city as a Sri Chinmoy Peace Capital and join the global family of Sri Chinmoy Peace Blossoms – significant and inspiring places around the world dedicated to world harmony. Such a dedication honours our city’s historic commiktment to peace… In dedicating Wellington as a Peace Capital may the spirit of peace spread from person to person and nation to nation and may the day dawn when all people live together as one.”" "Over 800 Sri Chinmoy Peace Markers are dedicated to the goal of peace and can be found in 50 nations around the world." Click here for list of 10 Sri Chinmoy peace cities in New Zealand.

1996 - UN Year of Peace Commemorative Plaque, Riverbank Reserve, Cambridge Terrace, Christchurch (New Zealand). Stainless steel plaque on concrete plinth at base of tree opposite the Theosophical Society.

1996 - Nobel Peace Walk, Wagga Wagga (Australia). "Historical and educational project paying tribute to those people who's [sic] life's work was to promote peace. The project's theme is 'peace for all time.' The walk was conceived by master stonemasons J Shephard & Son and commenced in 1996. It was inspired by their involvement with the design and construction of the [1993] Rotary Peace Monument [qv]."

October 3, 1996 - Memorial Plaque (Christmas Island). Text: "British Nuclear Test Veterans Association [BNTVA]. Dedicated To The Memory Of Test Veterans Who Have Died Since The British Tests At MONTE BELLO, EMU FIELDS, MARALINGA, MALDEN ISLAND, CHRISTMAS ISLAND, 1952-1962. Not Forgotten. 3rd October 1996." The first British test took place October 3, 1953, off Trimouille Island, Monte Bello Islands, Western Australia. See 1990 & 1998 memorials in Liverpool & Leeds (England).

Date? - Obelisk at the Totem One test site, Emu Field. South Australia (Australia). "Site of first atomic test on mainland Australia, known as Totem One." Text: "TEST SITE. TOTEM 1. A BRITISH ATOMIC WEAPON WAS TEST EXPLODED HERE ON 15 OCTOBER 1953."

October 3, 2002 - Monument to the First British Atomic Test, Onslow, Monte Bello Islands, Western Australia (Australia). Erected on 50th anniversary of Operation Hurricane. Click here for map of atomic tests in Australia.

February 8, 1998 - Peace Grove, Perth, Western Australia (Australia). Honoring Nobel Peace Prize laureates Anwar Sadat and Yatzhan Rabin.

January 1, 2000 - "World Peace 2000 (Australia) Monument," Barry Street, City of Stonnington, Melbourne, Victoria (Australia). "A double torch Hellenic Monument that will be use to celebrate every 1 January as 'One Day in Peace' in all our Millennium of Peace celebrations."

February 5, 2000 - World Peace Bell, Evergreen Taoist Religious Order, near Brisbane, Queensland (Australia). Chinese shape. "A symbol of freedom peace & human rights."

Date? - Peace Park, Tanilba Bay Foreshore (where the end of President Wilson Walk meets Peace Parade), Port Stephens, New South Wales (Australia). "This park is set in a quiet bushland setting surrounded by native flora and fauna."

Date? - Peace Park, Trevenar Street, Ashbury, New South Wales (Australia).

Date? - Bronze statute of Gandhi, Glebe Park, Canberra, Australian Capitol Territory (Australia). "Identifies Gandhi’s guiding tenets including: No politics without principles; no commerce without morality; and no science without humanity.”

2001 - Reconciliation Place, Parliamentary Triangle , Canberra, Australian Capital Territory (Australia). "An urban landscape design established as a monument to reconciliation between Australia’s Indigenous people and settler population."

October 7, 2001 - Windrove Peace Garden, Tasmania (Australia). Created by Tasmanian sculptor/naturalist Peter Adams.

September 12, 2002 - "Handspan" (Wanganui Culture of Peace Sculpture), Wanganui, North Island (New Zealand). A double-spiral pathway whose walls are covered with more than 4,000 clay hand casts. Created by "Peace Through Unity," an international NGO based in Wanganui. Designed by local artist Ross Mitchell-Anyon. .

October 25, 2003 - World Peace Flame #4 (WPF), Nature Care College (NCC), North Sydney, New South Wales (Australia). One of 6 WPF's; the others are in the Netherlands, Wales, and Tennessee (USA).

October 2006 - SIEV X Memorial, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory (Australia). Commemorates 300 refugees (mostly Iraqi) who were resued in October 2001 from a 19.5 metre fishing boat. SIEV is naval jargon for "Suspected Illegal Entry Vessel." Temporary monument reconstructed annually.

October 3, 2006 - World Peace Bell (WPB), Botanic Garden, Hagley Park, Christchurch (New Zealand). This is the latest and may be the last of about 20 WPB's distributed worldwide by the World Peace Bell Association (WPBA) of Toyko (Japan).

October 21, 2006 - "Te Korowai Rangimarie / Cloak of Peace," Peace Symbols Zone, Nagasaki Peace Park, Nagasaki (Japan). By artist Kingsley Baird. "A gift from the New Zealand government, the cities of Christshurch, Wellington, Auckland, Napier, Whakatane and Waitakere and the Peace Foundation's Disarmament and Security Centre."

Date? - Wellington Peace Walk, Wellington Botanic Garden, Wellington (New Zealand). "Wellington City has planted a number of trees, and installed a range of sculptures and monuments, commemorating peace and peacemakers. The ones in the Botanical Gardens and inner city can be viewed through a [50-minute] leisurely walk." Website identifies 15 peace monuments.

2008? - Christchurh Peace Walk, Christchurch (New Zealand). "Two kilometre corridor with reminders & commemorations to peace... Established by Christchurch City Council & Peace Foundation Disarmament & Security Centre... Includes: • Fire Fighters Memorial • Clock Tower • Elsie Locke Park • Site of Lantern Ceremonies • Queen Victoria Statue • Cenotaph at Cathedral Square & Cathedral Square • Memorial to Vivienne Mountfort • Kate Sheppard National Memorial • Purple Plum Tree • Bridge of Remembrance • Peace Pole & Friendship Corner • Bandman’s Rotunda • Dalai Lama Stone • Camphor Tree • Rotary Plaque • [World] Peace Bell."

B U D D H A

January 2009 - Jade Buddha for Universal Peace," Great Stupa of Universal Compassion, Sanhurst Town Road, Myers Flat, Victoria (Australia). Carved by Jade Thongtavee Company in Thailand from a rare boulder of translucent jade ("Polar Pride") which was discovered in Canada in 2000. "Perhaps the largest and most beautiful Buddha carved from gemstone quality jade. Including lotus and throne, over 3.5 metres (11.4 feet) tall... Inspired by the most famous Buddha in the world inside the Mahabodhi Stupa in Bodh Gaya (India)." On world tour 2009-2010. Image made in Huntington Beach, California (USA), in October 2010.