Anzac Square lies between Ann and Adelaide streets in central Brisbane. The State Library of Queensland’s history pages for the square describe it as a preeminent war memorial located in the heart of Brisbane. The State Library history page gives the address as 285 Ann Street, Brisbane City. This guide follows the square from the First World War proposal to the restored memorial galleries, and it says where the sources disagree.
From a First World War idea to a state memorial
The square was first envisaged as a World War I memorial. The idea of a large memorial park and monument in central Brisbane was first raised in 1916, after the Gallipoli campaign. In 1920 the Queensland National Anzac Memorial Executive Committee was formed to oversee the design and creation of the state memorial.
Site, design and construction
The site occupied the traditional lands of the Turrbal and Yugara Nations. By 1926 the state and federal governments had tentatively agreed on a site of about 1.2 acres between Ann and Adelaide streets. A public appeal for subscriptions was launched in June 1927 by William Jolly, who was then Mayor of Brisbane and chairman of the memorial committee. The design competition drew more than 50 entries, and the first prize went to Sydney architects Stafford Harman Buchanan and Frederick Mountford Cowper. Construction by F.J. Corbett and Sons took place between 1929 and 1930. The finished memorial cost £19,000, which was more than first planned.
The 1930 opening and the Eternal Flame
The first event at the square was held on 24 May 1930, when Governor Sir John Goodwin unveiled a bronze commemorative tablet. The square’s history page says Goodwin then lit the Eternal Flame after his address. The memorial galleries timeline gives a different date, saying Australia’s first eternal flame was lit in Brisbane on Armistice Day, 11 November 1930. The two State Library pages do not agree, so this guide gives no single date for the flame and reports only that it was lit in 1930.
Stage 2 of the restoration was completed in April 2015, and it fitted a new electronic ignition system inside the flame urn to address reliability problems.
Memorial galleries and plaques
Brisbane Living Heritage’s page, read on 9 November 2026, describes three memorial galleries beneath the parkland that commemorate Queensland stories from World War I, World War II and post-1945. The first memorial plaque was installed in the Memorial Crypt in 1931. The undated State Library timeline page, read on 9 November 2026, says more than 130 memorial plaques have been laid in the galleries since then.
In 1984 the Queensland branch of the RSL requested the use of the western and eastern galleries as its state headquarters. The Queensland Government’s ANZAC 100 project page, last updated 21 September 2020, says the former RSL Queensland Branch headquarters was transformed into an Exhibition Gallery and houses all post-Second World War plaques.
A Boer War memorial statue was added in 1939. An Indigenous memorial statue was unveiled in May 2022.
Heritage listing and the restoration
The square was declared a reserve for park purposes in 1933, and the building was listed on the Queensland Heritage Register in October 1992. Proposals to alter the square drew community outrage, and a revised plan allowed limited encroachment.
The restoration and enhancement project was carried out in four stages, and the final Stage 4 works were completed in August 2019. Stage 3 works were completed in April 2016. The Queensland Government’s ANZAC 100 project page, last updated 21 September 2020, says $21.98 million was invested in the staged project. The same page says the project was a joint initiative of the Queensland Government, the Anzac Centenary Public Fund and Brisbane City Council. The State Library of Queensland’s memorial galleries timeline, in its 2013 entry, gives the same $21.98 million but credits it to the Queensland Government, Commonwealth Government and Brisbane City Council, so the two sources name different funders.
Current role
Brisbane Living Heritage’s page, read on 9 November 2026, says the Queensland Veterans’ Council is honoured to assume responsibility for the State War Memorial of Queensland at Anzac Square. The same page, read on the same date, says the square remains the principal site for Queensland’s Anzac Day and Remembrance Day commemorations. The square was the first state Anzac memorial in Australia when it opened in 1930.
Visiting notes
Check the State Library of Queensland site for visiting and ceremony arrangements before you go.
Frequently asked questions
Who is responsible for the State War Memorial at Anzac Square?
Brisbane Living Heritage’s page, read on 9 November 2026, says the Queensland Veterans’ Council is honoured to assume responsibility for the State War Memorial of Queensland at the square.
When did Anzac Square open?
The first event was held on 24 May 1930, and the square was the first state Anzac memorial in Australia when it opened in 1930.
Why do sources give different dates for the Eternal Flame?
Two State Library of Queensland pages date the first flame differently: the history page ties it to the 24 May 1930 event, and the memorial galleries timeline gives Armistice Day, 11 November 1930. This guide therefore gives no single date.
