The Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial was opened on 6 February 2004 by General Peter Cosgrove AM, MC and was witnessed by over 11,000 people including the Governor General His Excellency Major General Michael Jeffery, AC, CVO, MC (Ret'd)) who gathered for the event.
The opening was the culmination of over 8 years of planning. The idea for a Memorial commenced in 1996 during a Remembrance Day ceremony at the plaque dedicated to Prisoners of War on the present Memorial site, remarks were made that a more appropriate memorial should be erected to our Australian Prisoners of War and their families. From these remarks a committee was formed and weekly meetings of the small committee followed.