Question On Notice No. 3353 asked in the Legislative Council on 22 October 2020 by Hon Aaron Stonehouse
Question Directed to the: Minister for Environment representing the Minister for Veterans Issues
Parliament: 40 Session: 1
Question
(1) Has the Minister or the Department been approached in regards to the lack of a dedicated Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) memorial in Kings Park, or elsewhere in Perth?
(2) If yes to (1), by whom and on what dates?
(3) Is the Minister aware that, of the 50+ formal memorials in Kings Park, only one has a RAAF specific dedication, and that is to a single squadron which is no longer active?
(4) Is the Minister satisfied that this adequately memorializes the many airmen and women who served, and in many cases died, defending Australia's skies in the two world wars, and in more recent conflicts?
(5) If no to (4), will the Minister undertake to liaise with his colleague, the Minister for the Environment, to see what can be done to establish a dedicated RAAF memorial within the precincts of Kings Park, or at some other appropriate location, going forward?
Answered on 25 November 2020
(1) - (2) Yes. The Government has been approached by a member of the public in March 2019 and June 2020
(3) For the Honourable Member’s information, there are many smaller memorials around Kings Park that are in the main dedicated to either individual units, such as the Squadron 460 memorial in the LotteryWest Family Area or the HMAS Voyager memorial opposite the Saw Avenue picnic area; or to specific theatres, such as the Vietnam Memorial Pavilion.
The State War Memorial is the appropriate memorial dedicated to all Australian Defence Force and Australian Imperial Forces veterans and personnel.
The Honourable Member will note that there is neither a dedicated Australian Army nor Australian Navy memorial in Kings Park.
Further, there is a dedicated RAAF Memorial at the RAAFA site in Bullcreek.
(4) Yes.
(5) Not applicable.