Hobart’s memorials record military service, civic figures, disasters and community gifts. They also show whose stories were given public space at different times and which histories were omitted.

The Cenotaph and Soldiers Memorial Avenue

The Cenotaph stands above Macquarie Point on Queens Domain. Farther north, Soldiers Memorial Avenue uses individually dedicated trees and plaques to commemorate Tasmanians who died in the First World War.

Queens Domain above central Hobart
The Cenotaph and memorial avenue occupy different parts of the Domain.Ché Lydia Xyang, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

St David’s Park

St David’s Park occupies Hobart’s first European burial ground. The memorial wall incorporates surviving headstones, but it should be read as a transformed cemetery rather than a decorative backdrop.

Historic headstones in the memorial wall at St David’s Park
The wall preserves stones from Hobart’s first European burial ground.Dicklyon, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Reading public monuments

Use the City of Hobart heritage register and Libraries Tasmania records to identify names and dates. Avoid repeating inscriptions as complete history: many monuments reflect the values of the people who commissioned them.

Franklin Square in central Hobart
Civic parks contain statues, fountains and monuments from different periods.Gary Houston, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Keep ceremonies unobstructed, do not climb monuments or place items where they damage stone, and follow temporary closures around commemorative events.