www.monumentaustralia.org.au

H.M.A.S. Sydney II Memorial AvenuePrint Page Print this page

Avenue 3 :12-August-2015
Avenue 3 :12-August-2015

Photographs supplied by Diane Watson / Peter F Williams

The H.M.A.S. Sydney II Memorial Avenue is a living monument to the 645 service men who perished on H.M.A.S. Sydney in 1941.

645 trees are planted along the avenue and at the base of each tree is a plaque stating the name and rank of the naval officer. The Memorial Avenue was established in 2001 on the 60th Anniversary commemoration of the sinking of the H.M.A.S. Sydney and covers a distance of over 5 kilometres which stretches from the North West Coastal Highway to Carnarvon Road.

H.M.A.S. Sydney II was sunk off the coast somewhere near Carnarvon by the German Raider "Kormoran". On November 19th, 1941 somewhere west of Carnarvon the light cruiser H.M.A.S. Sydney encountered what appeared to be a foreign merchant ship. As the Sydney approached the ship she signalled that she was the Dutch merchant ship Straat Malakka. The Captain rather than deploy the spotter aeroplane to identify the ship, chose to approach to within point-blank range. When Captain Joseph Burnett of the Sydney requested the ship hoist her secret signal, the merchant ship hoisted the German Ensign revealing that it was not a merchant ship but the German raider the Kormoran.

A battle ensued with the Sydney being struck by a torpedo within minutes of the battle, she was however able to hit the Kormoran three times. The battle would end with both ships sinking, 300 men from the Kormoran made it to shore but unfortunately all 645 seaman on the H.M.A.S. Sydney II perished.

Location

Address:H.M.A.S. Sydney II Memorial Avenue, Greys Plains, Carnarvon, 6701
State:WA
Area:AUS
GPS Coordinates:Lat: -24.895868
Long: 113.675356
Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate.
View Google Map

Details

Monument Type:Avenue of Honour
Monument Theme:Conflict
Sub-Theme:WW2
Actual Event Start Date:19-November-1941
Actual Event End Date:19-November-1941

Dedication

Approx. Monument Dedication Date:2001
Source: MA
Monument details supplied by Monument Australia - www.monumentaustralia.org.au