In April 1952 a preliminary committee was formed to investigate planting avenues of trees and establishing groves and memorial parks along the Hume and Federal Highways between Sydney and Canberra to honour those who had served as members of the Australian Defence Forces during World War II. This committee became the Remembrance Driveway Committee.
In 1954 the Queen and Prince Philip launched the Remembrance Driveway when they each planted a Plane tree in Macquarie Place, Sydney. These trees mark the Sydney end of the Driveway. In 2002 three Red Spotted Gums were planted by the Governor-General in the Remembrance Park, behind the Australian War Memorial, Canberra to mark the Canberra end of the Driveway.
During the 1980s the M5 Freeway, south of Liverpool, replaced the Hume Highway and it has become the new route for the Driveway with native trees and shrubs being planted along its length.
The Driveway commemorates those who served in the Australian Armed Forces in World War II, in Korea, Malaya, Vietnam, and who continue to serve active duty around the world.
In the mid-1990s the Committee decided to develop the Victoria Cross Rest Areas and Memorial Parks. These honour the 24 Australian World War II and Vietnam War Victoria Cross recipients. Because of their acts of valour and extraordinary personal courage they have been selected by name to represent all the servicemen and women commemorated. By the end of 2006, 22 of these memorials had been completed using Committee funds and funding from the Federal, NSW and ACT Governments.
In November 2006 an oral history titled The Remembrance Driveway and VC Rest Areas was released, during the dedication ceremony for the Sir Roden Cutler VC Memorial Interchange and Rest Area, at Prestons in south-western Sydney. Click here for more information.
The above text has been reproduced with permission from the Remembrance Driveway website. For more information or to view the interactive Remembrance Driveway map visit www.remembrancedriveway.org.au.
Back to top