What is the Tomb of the Unknown Australian Soldier?
The Tomb of the Unknown Australian Soldier is in the Hall of Memory at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra. It holds the remains of an unidentified Australian soldier from the First World War, interred in 1993.
The soldier's remains were recovered from Adelaide Cemetery near Villers-Bretonneux in France, an area where many Australians fought and died in 1918. They were brought to Australia and buried on 11 November 1993, the 75th anniversary of the end of the war.
Prime Minister Paul Keating gave a famous eulogy at the ceremony, saying that the soldier was one of them and would always be one of us.
A symbol of all who served
The tomb represents all Australians who have died in war, including more than 100,000 people listed on the Roll of Honour.
The tomb lies beneath the dome of the Hall of Memory, whose mosaic and stained glass windows by artist Napier Waller honour the qualities of Australian service personnel.
Visitors often leave red poppies at the tomb, and Remembrance Day services at the War Memorial focus on it. In 2013, on the 20th anniversary of the burial, the tomb's design was updated with a new inscription drawn from Keating's speech.
Did You Know?
Similar tombs of unknown soldiers exist in other countries, including at Westminster Abbey in London.