So reads the inscription on the Australian American Memorial in Canberra.

Soon after the end of World War II, the Federal President of the Australian American Association, Mr. E.K. White (later Sir Ernest), proposed that a Memorial be erected to express the thanks of the Australian people to the United States of America for its contribution to the defense of Australia. The late J.B. Chifley, then Prime Minister of Australia, supported the proposal.

In 1948 the Federal Council of the Australian American Association resolved "to establish a Memorial in Canberra in the form of a monument or statue, to perpetuate the services and sacrifices of the United States forces in Australia and to symbolize Australian-American comradeship in arms".

To give effect to this resolution a Federal U.S. Memorial Committee was appointed to undertake the responsibilities involved. The foundation members of this committee were the Rt.Hon. R.G. Casey, federal President of the Australian American Association (1946-1950), he was later crested Lord Casey of Berwick and appointed as the Governor General of Australia, Sir Keith Murdoch, Victorian President (1941-1946), father of media owner Rupert Murdoch. Messrs. R.B. Bradley, E.A. Doyle, Wesley A. Ince, Daryl Lindsay and Harold Rabling comprised the rest of the founding committee.

Later, as the project developed and further expert advice became necessary, Mr. E.K. White, Federal President (1945/6, 1950-52 and 1955), Sir John Latham, Federal President (1952-54), Sir Leslie McConnan, Major-General Sir Clive Steele, Sir John Storey and Mr. Frank Packer were elected to the Committee. Mr. P.M. Hamilton, Executive Officer of the Australian American Association in Victoria, acted as Secretary to the Committee throughout.

To be worthy of its purpose and in keeping with the wide horizons of the Canberra landscape, a Memorial of considerable size and striking design was essential. With these ideas in mind an Australia-wide competition was held in 1949. From the thirty-two entries received, the design submitted by Mr. Richard M. Ure was selected. The winning design provided for an octagonal aluminium column surmounted by an aluminium eagle with wings upswept in a victory sign, giving a total overall height of 258 feet (78m approx.).

The search for a suitable site extended from 1948 to 1951 with eight different locations considered before the site now occupied, at the apex of the Kings Avenue axis of the Canberra city plan, was selected and approved by the Commonwealth Government. The area at the time was bushland and it was long before the Department of Defence complex was built there.

The Prime Minister, The Rt. Hon. R.G. Menzies, launched a nationwide appeal for funds with a target of 50,000 Australian pounds in May 1950. Within six weeks more than 63,000 pounds had been subscribed. Later, to meet rising costs, the Commonwealth Government made a substantial donation and the Memorial was finally erected at a cost of approximately 100,000 pounds. This was a significant sum of money.

Work commenced in December 1952 and the builders, McConell of Sydney, completed it in just over a year. Richard Nixon, then U.S. Vice President, visited the site during the early stages of construction.

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II during the first visit to Australia of a reigning monarch unveiled the Memorial on 16^th February 1954.

Chief Justice Sir John Latham, Federal President of the Association (1952-54) was among the many Australian dignitaries at the ceremony while Vice President Richard Nixon represented the United States and Mr. (later Sir) Randal Heymanson, the sister American Australian Association.

From the surplus funds available from the oversubscribed target, State memorials of considerable merit were erected in Brisbane and Adelaide.

Footnote (2002) - The Memorial is now beginning to imperceptibly show the ravages of time and the elements. However, such is its prestige in the national capital that the National Capital Authority, a Commonwealth government agency, has already commenced the testing of materials for a lengthy and costly restoration of the Memorial.

David Evans, Canberra

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