Veterans' Affairs

The NSW Government plays a key role in ensuring the sacrifices of ex-service men and women are honoured and remembered with dignity and respect.

A Veterans Affairs portfolio has been created in the NSW Cabinet to provide a single point of contact for veterans and their families to bring their needs and interests to the attention of the NSW Government.  The Honourable Graham West, Minister for Juvenile Justice, Volunteering and Youth has been appointed NSWs first Minister Assisting the Premier on Veterans Affairs.

More information on the work undertaken in this portfolio can be found on the pages of this site.  However, a number of key activities are highlighted below.

ANZAC Memorial Building

The ANZAC Memorial Building in Hyde Park South is the principal State War Memorial to all Australians who serve their country in war. The building was completed in 1934.  The Building is currently closed to the public whilst the Governments multi-million dollar repair and renovation program is completed in advance of its 75^th anniversary in November 2009. A range of exhibitions, events and commemorative activities is planned for this time. 

For more information, visit the ANZAC Memorial Building website.

Korean War Memorial

The NSW Government has provided land and funding for the construction of a memorial to commemorate the Korean War. The memorial site is located at the northern end of Moore Park, a highly significant public parkland that is heritage listed as a place of national significance to the Australian people.  

Visit the Korean War Memorial website for more information.

Community War Memorials Fund

The NSW Government has established the Community War Memorials Fund to help protect and restore war memorials across NSW. Grants are considered by the State War Memorials Committee, which will assess applications and announce grant recipients twice a year around ANZAC Day and Remembrance Day.

The current round of applications closed on October 7, 2009. 

For more details, visit the Community War Memorials Fund web page.

Premier's ANZAC Memorial Scholarships

The Premier's ANZAC Memorial Scholarship program has the purpose of ensuring that the Gallipoli story remains a living part of Australian history. Twelve scholarships have been awarded for 2009 to students from throughout NSW enrolled in government and non-government schools. The Premier and Mr Don Rowe, the President of the NSW Branch of the Returned and Services League, accompanied these students and two supervising teachers to Gallipoli to participate in ANZAC Day commemoration activities. For more information, see the ANZAC Memorial Scholarships page on the Department of Education and Training website.

The 2009 Premier's ANZAC Memorial Scholarship students blog is also now available.