In a ceremony at Bradleys Head in Sydney, Veterans’ Affairs and Defence Personnel Minister Matt Keogh and Commander Australian Fleet Rear Admiral Chris Smith declared the memorials at the site a Military Memorial of National Significance. 

The dedication signals the enduring national significance of the hallowed memorials, which commemorate every Australian who has proudly served in the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) over the past 125 years, as well as all ships lost in service. 

Mr Keogh spoke about the impact of the dedication.

“As a maritime nation girt by sea, Australians take great pride in our Navy,” Mr Keogh said. 

“The elevation of these memorials recognises the service and sacrifice of generations of officers, sailors and all ships that have been lost in service to Australia.” 

Located within the Sydney Harbour National Park, the memorial includes the HMAS Sydney I mast, the RAN Memorial and the RAN Memorial Walk. 

The 17-metre Sydney I main mast was saved when the ship was decommissioned in 1928 and taken apart. It was installed at Bradleys Head in Sydney in 1934, atop heritage-protected stone fortifications dating back to the 1840s.

The memorial is the only one to which ceremonial honours must be afforded by all passing naval ships, both Australian and foreign, when entering Sydney Harbour. 

“With today’s declaration, it becomes just the ninth Australian Military Memorial of National Significance, alongside Melbourne’s iconic Shrine of Remembrance, the Cenotaph in Sydney, and the HMAS Sydney II Memorial in Geraldton, among others,” Mr Keogh said.

“This is a site steeped in Australia’s proud naval history.”

Sydney I became the first Australian ship to engage the enemy at sea, when it defeated the German light cruiser SMS Emden off the Cocos Islands on November 9, 1914. 

During the engagement, four Australians and 134 German sailors were killed, with Sydney taking 15 hits, and Captain Karl von Müller eventually running Emden aground on North Keeling Island reef.

'This is a site steeped in Australia’s proud naval history.'

The memorials also commemorate the sinking of HMAS Sydney II off the coast of Western Australia on November 19, 1941. 

This action was the single largest loss of life in Navy’s history during close-range combat with the disguised German auxiliary cruiser HSK Kormoran. Every member of Sydney II’s 645 crew perished. 

Rear Admiral Smith addressed those gathered on behalf of Navy.

“This year marks Navy’s 125th year of service to Australia. It is a milestone that reminds us that our story is inseparable from the story of Australia itself,” Rear Admiral Smith said.

“Across those 125 years, our people – uniformed, civilian, industry partners and families – have built and sustained a national capability designed to protect a maritime nation. 

“Sites like Bradleys Head tell that story with clarity. They anchor our understanding not just of where we have come from, but why a capable and credible Navy has always mattered.”

During the Kakadu Fleet Review on March 21, more than 30 ships rendered ceremonial colours to the memorial on their way into Sydney Harbour. 

They were led by RAN flagship HMAS Canberra at dawn, whose ship’s company piped the side and saluted as fellow sailors hoisted the Australian white ensign atop the hallowed mast.

“Bradleys Head is more than a scenic vantage point over the harbour,” Rear Admiral Smith said.

“It is a place where thousands of Australians have gathered to reflect on service, conflict and the cost of war, where families have come to honour loved ones, and where Navy personnel – past and present – have connected with the legacy of their predecessors.

“Our ability to serve Australia today is built on the foundations laid by those whose stories are preserved here at Bradleys Head.”