Yesterday we visited the HMAS Sydney Memorial that overlooks Geraldton in Western Australia. It is a stunning- and emotional- tribute to the

645 men who lost their lives when their ship was destroyed off the nearby coast in 1941.

The memorial consists of several components. The dome above, known as The Dome of Souls, is made up of 645 seagulls, one for each life lost – the single largest loss of life in the history of the Royal Australian Navy. The link included in this paragraph details the symbolism of this stunning sculpture.

The wall is inscribed with a brief history of the attack by the Kormoran and identifies each person, their rank and where they were from. It makes for thoughtful reading to see 645 names etched into the wall 😔

The Stele represents the ships prow and it stands out above Geraldton and draws your attention to the memorial.

The Pool of Remembrance is surrounded by 644 seagulls, the 645th in the centre of the pool and pointing to the coordinates of the final resting place of the HMAS Sydney. The pool itself depicts the shoreline and the dark ocean depths where the ship was discovered in 2008, some 2500 metres below the surface.

Nearby is the final component of the memorial, the Waiting Woman. She was positioned here before the wreck of the Sydney was found and, in a coincidence that raises the hairs on my neck, she is looking directly towards HMAS Sydney’s watery grave.

The inscription reads –

Close by the waiting woman waits no more. Now she watches over her loved ones eternally at rest. Her gaze lingers along the exact compass bearing to the ship, as it has since she was placed here before the site of the Sydney was known.

It truly is a beautiful memorial that serves as a reminder of the lives sacrificed for us to enjoy our freedom today.