The Australian Women's Register

In November 1997 Sydney sculptor, Anne Ferguson, won a competition for her design of the Australian Servicewomen’s Memorial. Other work in Canberra by the artist is the marble finials for the staircase at Parliament House. Ferguson has also worked with sculptor Peter Corlett to create a black granite carving of the Returned Soldier’s League Memorial at the Australian War Memorial.

The Australian Servicewomen’s Memorial commemorates all women who served, suffered and died in the defence of Australia. The flat mosaic sculpture represents a carpet laid by women. Set on a concrete slab is a square mosaic of granite stones which were gathered from all over Australia. A feature of the sculpture is the winding river that divides the mosaic into the pre and post 1945 periods.

The insignia of the various divisions in which women have served, from World War II through to 1999 (when the Memorial was dedicated), are incised into the stone borders of the work. The lettering and insignia face inwards encouraging people to walk on the memorial. It is located under a grove of trees in the sculpture garden beside the Australian War Memorial’s administration building.

Plaque on concrete slab in front of memorial, south east corner

Pre-1945
Royal Australian Naval Nursing Service
Women’s Royal Australian Naval Service
Australian Army Nursing Service
Australian Women’s Army Service
Voluntary Aid Detachments
Australian Army Medical Women’s Service
Royal Australian Air Force Medical Service
Royal Australian Air Force Nursing Service
Women’s Auxiliary Australian Air Force

Insignia of Royal Australian Navy

Insignia of Australian Commonwealth Military Forces

Insignia of Royal Australian Air Force

Western Border, from south west corner

Post-1945
Royal Australian Naval Nursing Service
Women’s Royal Australian Naval Service
Royal Australian Navy
Australian Army Nursing Service
Royal Australian Army Nursing Service
Royal Australian Army Nursing Corps
Women’s Royal Australian Army Corps
Australian Army
Royal Australian Air Force Nursing Service
Women’s Auxiliary Australian Air Force
Royal Australian Air Force

Insignia of Royal Australian Navy

Insignia of The Australian Army

Insignia of Royal Australian Air Force [1]

[1] http://www.skp.com.au/memorials/pages/00018.htm accessed 2003-04-08