Captain Hector WallerPrint Page 
The monument commemorates Captain Hector Waller and all service personnel who have died at sea.
Captain Hector Waller was widely considered to have been the outstanding naval officer of his generation. He was once described by his British Commander-in-Chief as one of the greatest captains who ever sailed the seas. He was the captain of the light cruiser H.M.A.S. Perth (D29) in the Second World War. In a naval career spanning almost 30 years, he served his country in two world wars. Waller went down with his ship (H.M.A.S. Perth accompanied by the USS Houston) when it encountered a Japanese invasion fleet consisting of two cruisers and twelve destroyers in the Battle of Sunda Strait at the beginning of March 1942.
From a crew of 682 men, only 229 returned to Australia. Many survivors of the H.M.A.S. Perth sinking had died as prisoners of war.
Location
| Address: | Bridge Street (Midland Highway), Benalla Botanical Gardens, Benalla, 3672 |
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| State: | VIC |
| Area: | AUS |
| GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -36.553464 Long: 145.978759 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
Details
| Monument Type: | Monument |
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| Monument Theme: | People |
| Sub-Theme: | Military |
| Artist: | Louis Laumen |
| Monument Manufacturer: | A. C. & R. J. Lau Pty Ltd ( Stonemasons) |
Dedication
| Actual Monument Dedication Date: | Sunday 14th March, 2010 |
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To the memory of all men and women lost at sea on operational service
Comments by Hec`s senior officers in 1941 :
"One of the greatest Captains who ever sailed the seas"
"A first class fighting leader whose cheery, bouyant and resolute outlook brushes difficulty aside and gets the best out of those serving with him."
Captain Hec Waller
DSO and Bar RAN
