The Stone of Remembrance has been moved to the Western Courtyard of the Australian War Memorial as part of the early works for the Memorial's Development Project.
The Stone, weighing six-and-a-half tonnes, was carefully relocated from the front of the Memorial on Tuesday 13 July and has been temporarily placed on a plinth in the Western Courtyard which will be the centre of commemorative events and ceremonies for the next three years.
It was moved by heritage stonework contractors using specialised equipment under the supervision of the Memorial's National Collection staff with experience in moving complex and significant objects.
The steps surrounding the Stone have also been temporarily removed and will be treated for any degradation then relocated to the Memorial's Mitchell site where they will be stored until they are returned to their original site after the completion of the New Southern Entrance construction works.
The Stone was originally installed in 1962 and will remain a focal point for major and national commemorative ceremonies.
Australian War Memorial Director Matt Anderson said the moving of the Stone of Remembrance was carefully planned and carried out as part of early works approved by the National Capital Authority.
'The Stone will occupy a position of honour in the Western Courtyard and be available to all visitors to the Memorial,' he said.
'The planned expansion of the Memorial will allow the recognition of contemporary conflicts and operations, including Somalia, Rwanda, Solomon Islands, East Timor, Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria, which will be recognised in permanent displays allowing the Memorial to appropriately recognise the recent service of more than 100,000 servicemen and servicewomen.'
Information about the Development Project can be viewed here.
