South Australian National War Memorial
Rayner Hoff
The competition for the design of the South Australian National War Memorial was held in 1924. The original 26 entries were lost in a fire and it was not until 1926 that local architects Woods, Bagot, Jory and Laybourne-Smith were awarded the commission.
Rayner Hoff (1894-1939) was employed to realise the large scale bronze figures of a farmer, student and girl presenting their most prized belongings before the Winged Spirit of Duty. The colossal figure of the spirit was first modelled in clay and then transposed onto Angaston white marble.
The memorial was unveiled on 24 April 1931 by the Governor, Brigadier-General Sir Alexander Hore-Ruthven, to the cheers of some 75,000 people.
The memorial is unique in its characterisation of ordinary people in the role of heroes and heroines.