The ANZAC Memorial was built to commemorate the Australian Imperial Force of World War I. It is the focal point of the southern section of Hyde Park, along with the Pool of Reflection. On ANZAC Day and Remembrance Day, the memorial is the central focus of the ceremonies, so it can be extremely busy.
120,000 gold stars covered the domed ceiling, representing all those from New South Wales who served in World War One. The centre piece of the interior is a bronze statue of a deceased youth, representing a soldier, held aloft on his shield.
On the ground floor, a gallery has exhibits from military conflicts NSW citizens have been involved with. These range from the Sudan (1885) to Afghanistan, with an emphasis on the First World War.
To the north is the pool of reflection and a long tree-lined pathway. It is very shady and cool in the Australian summer. It is a great place to sit quietly and relax.
Pathway to ANZAC Memorial ANZAC MemorialInside the MemorialBronze statue of a deceased youthLower Floor GalleryAIF FlagTail Section of a Japanese Midget Submarine
The walk from Manly to North Head takes you past some beautiful beaches with views over the coast, through coastal scrub and passes old fortifications. Finally ending at the entrance to Sydney Harbour, it has spectacular views of the city.
Getting There
The easiest way to get to Manly is to take the Manly ferry from Circular Quay. If you’re new to Sydney, this is an attraction in itself, because the Sydney Harbour ferries form an important part of the local public transport. During the ferry ride, you get some brilliant views of the Opera House and Harbor Bridge as well as all the other boat traffic on the water.
Manly Ferry CollaroyOpera House From the Manly Ferry
Start of the Walk
Catching the Manly Ferry from Circular Quay, we arrived at Manly Wharf at 9:30 am. We planned our walk to take us along the shore to Shelly Beach where we would follow a track to the Barracks Precinct. Not only would this give us views over the coast but take us past some old fortifications and gun emplacements.
From the Manly wharf, we walked down The Corso, which is a pedestrian mall leading to the beach.
Manly Beach
One of the most popular Sydney beaches, Manly Beach is a great place for a swim or relaxing on the sand. We bought a coffee at a kiosk near the south end of the beach before starting the walk.
Manly Beach
Manly to Shelly Beach
Starting at the south end of Manly Beach, the path follows the coastline, which is rocky until you reach Shelly Beach. There are plenty of places with places to look up and down the coast and back to Manly, giving you some amazing views.
Along the way look out for small metal sculptures of local wildlife. These have been placed on the rocks next to the path.
About halfway to Shelly Beach, Fairy Bower Pool is a protected ocean pool where you can swim. The pool is also decorated with a sculpture of two fairies.
Fairy Bower Sea PoolFairy StatuesSculpture of an octopus near Shelly BeachSculpture of an bandicoot near Shelly BeachFairey Penguin Sculpture near Shelly Beach
Shelly Beach
Shelly Beach is a secluded and serene crescent-shaped beach surrounded by nice shady trees. As well as a grassed area to relax on it has a kiosk where you can buy refreshments before continuing the walk.
From Shelly Beach, the track goes uphill to head along the cliffs to the south.
Shelly Beach
Shelly Headland Lookout
Perched on a rocky outcrop overlooking the ocean, this Shelly Headland Lookout provides an ideal spot for photographers because of the wonderful views along the coast. During the whale migration season, it’s also an ideal point to watch them swimming past.
Coastal view looking north back to Manly
Shelly Beach to the Barracks Precinct
After the flat walk from Manly the track becomes rougher and steeper. From here the track climbs uphill to reach the cliff tops. Winding through the coastal vegetation, it is not as busy as the first section because it is a more difficult walk. We loved this section, as the walk through the bush was much more peaceful.
At the top of the cliffs, old fortifications dating from the Second World War and earlier can be seen. The track even goes through one of the old walls built to defend the area.
The track south of Shelly BeachOld fortification wall at North Head
Barracks Precinct
The Barracks Precinct at North Head is a historically significant site that served as a military base from the mid-19th century to the mid-20th century. It played a crucial role in the defence of Sydney Harbor and housed various military units over the years.
The Barracks Precinct has well-preserved sandstone buildings, which showcase the architectural style of the time. It includes several barracks, officers’ quarters, mess halls, and maintenance buildings. These structures provide a glimpse into the daily lives of soldiers stationed at North Head.
Today, the Barracks Precinct has been repurposed as a heritage site and is open to the public for exploration. Visitors can wander through the historic buildings, learn about the site’s military history through information boards which are dotted around the area.
In this area and continuing to North Head, the walking tracks are generally well paved and often consists of boardwalks or paved roads. When we visited, the banksias were in flower adding a touch of colour to the walk.
Main barracks building and parade groundBanksia in flowerBanksia in Flower
Fortifications
Many of the original fortifications were dismantled and the guns sold for scrap when they were no longer needed. Fortunately, some are still in place so that visitors can see them. Several large gun emplacements are open to the public, but when we visited others were being repaired.
A great way to get a feel for the area’s past is to take the underground tunnels tour. We did this several years ago and highly recommend it. You walk through the tunnels and underground sections of the fortifications as well as getting into areas the general public cannot access.
Old FortificationsOld Fortification undergoing restoration9.2 Inch Gun
Memorial Walk
Winding through the coastal vegetation, the Memorial Walk commemorates Australia’s military heritage. Not only are there great sandstone memorials but the path is inlaid with bricks commemorating individuals or military units.
Memorial WalkMemorial for Australian Peacekeeping Operations
Fairfax Lookout
The end of our walk took us to Fairfax Lookout with its stunning views of Sydney and Sydney Harbour. The site was named after Sir James Fairfax, a prominent Australian businessman and philanthropist.
View of Sydney and the Harbour from Fairfax Lookout
Other Places to See in North Head
If you have time, Q Station, the old Sydney Quarantine Station is worth a visit. We did a guided tour here some time ago, which took us through the history of the site and most of its buildings. The old quarantine station cemetery is also a great place to see.
Getting Back
After finishing our walk, we decided to catch the bus back to the wharf as it stops right outside. Alternatively, you could walk back via Q Station. We had an excellent tour there a few years ago and highly recommend a visit.
During our previous trip to Canberra, the gallery “Conflicts 1945” to Today in the Australian War Memorial was closed because of the renovations. This time however, it was open, so we took the opportunity to look around.
This gallery commemorates all the conflicts involving Australians from 1945 to today. This includes Korea, Malaya, Vietnam, East Timor, Iraq and Afghanistan as well as numerous peace-keeping operations.
Korean War
This section commemorates Australia’s participation in the Korean War, particularly the army’s 3RAR, the RAAF’s 77 Squadron and the Royal Australian Navy.
Of the 17,000 Australians who served in Korea, casualties numbered more than 1,500, of whom 339 were killed. The majority served with the Australian Army.
The RAAF’s 77 Squadron was initially equipped with North American P-51 Mustangs, but these were later replaced with Gloster Meteor jet fighters. These, however, were outclassed as a fighter by the faster and more manoeuvrable MiG-15 operated by the Chinese and North Korean’s. As a result, they undertook ground attack missions in support of UN forces.
The RAN stationed HMS Sydney in Korean waters equipped with Firefly and Sea Fury aircraft. These made over 2,700 sorties, losing 9 aircraft with three aircrew killed.
Gloster Meteor F.8 fighter of 77 Squadron RAAF
Vietnam War
Australia’s involvement in the Vietnam War lasted from 1962 until 1973. Over 60,000 Australians participated, the majority being from the army. Of these 523 were killed and nearly 2,400 wounded.
Long Tan Cross
One of the most interesting displays in the Long Tan Cross, erected after the Battle of Long Tan, to commemorate those who died.
In August 1966 a company of 6RAR was engaged in one of Australia’s heaviest actions of the war, in a rubber plantation near Long Tan. The 108 soldiers of D Coy held off an enemy force, estimated at over 2000, for four hours in the middle of a tropical downpour. They were greatly assisted by a timely ammunition resupply by RAAF helicopters, close fire support from Australian artillery, and the arrival of reinforcements in APCs as night fell. When the Viet Cong withdrew at night fall, they left behind 245 dead, but carried away many more casualties. Seventeen Australians were killed and 25 wounded, with one dying of wounds several days later.
Displayed in the Dong Nai Museum in Bien Hoa after the war, the Government gifted it to Australia in 2017.
Other Vietnam War Displays
Representing the Royal Australian Navy’s contribution to the war is a model of the aircraft carrier HMAS Sydney. Other Australian ships provided escort, or fire-support duties, while aircrew served with US forces.
The Australian Army has displays covering the major equipment used, including artillery, an armoured personnel carrier and an Iroquois helicopter in the act of inserting troops.
105mm M2A2 howitzerM113A1 Armoured Personnel CarrierThe Long Tan CrossBell UH-1 Iroquois helicopter
Iraq and Afghanistan
This section covers Australia’s more recent involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Camp Russell Special Operations base and The Ghan Chapel where ADF chaplains ministered to everyone regardless of beliefLong Range Patrol Vehicle MC2-Land Rover 110 6×6 used by the SAS in Iraq and AfghanistanIraqi weapons including one of Saddam’s gold plated AK-47s
Peace Keeping
Some of Australia’s more important and long-term engagements have been peacekeeping deployments. These have been important because they assist in stabilizing areas of unrest while helping the local people recover from or avoid conflict. A map illustrating where deployments are or have been was very interesting. Many of these have not been well represented in the press, despite their contribution to world peace.
Land Rover Series 2A as used in Namibia 1989-90Locations of Australian peacekeepers
What Did We Think?
As the War Memorial continues its redevelopment, older areas such as this will be modernised. It is still an amazing pace to visit because of what it represents and has many great displays.
