Anzac Square - The Nurse and Soldier

Located within the hectic Central Business District of Brisbane is Anzac Square, the city's most central war memorial. The somewhat verdant site is designed to pay homage to the thousands of Australian soldiers who fought for our nation and the free world in war. Amongst the many plaques, trees and sandstone structures stands the distinctive sculpture of an Australian nurse tending to an injured soldier. The questions posed to the discussion leaders of week 12 ask us to analyse a photograph of this monument. This written response addresses the question using notions of whether or not the site is successful as a "landscape", what course readings could be applied to the site, and the significance of paradigmatic sets and syntagmatic organisation in relation to the overall accomplishment of the site.

In order for any landscape in the form of a memorial to be successful, it must evoke certain feelings and/or memories within an observer.

English: Queensland National Anzac and South Afric...

War Memorial

English: Brisbane, Queensland, Australia: View of ...

War is a very important part of our nation's history, and many believe that it is imperative to remind future generations of how the country gained the freedom some take for granted. What better way to remind us of the past, than to build large monuments that are proud to pay reverence to it? This is the primary purpose of memorials, in that they are designed to reinforce the past, even though it may mean preserving something as brutal as a war. In the case of the nurse tending to the injured soldier, there is a lot to say the monument is successful. The absence of a surgery table or medical tools gives the impression of helplessness, in that the nurse may not be able to treat the wounded combatant adequately. All she seems to be able to do is hold him whilst looking...