Who owns all the war memorials?
Most monuments erected after the Boer War and World War I were put up by local communities. Committees were organised to raise funds, approve design and commission construction. The Commonwealth and States did not provide any funding although some municipal councils in Victoria did. The monuments were built on land provided by the Shire, the State, the Commonwealth Government (in front of Post Offices etc.) or by private individuals. Once the monument was dedicated and the cost paid off the committees usually dissolved. No-one seemed to actually “own” the monument itself other than the community at large. Various RSL sub-branches and other organisations have taken on the duties of custodians but as some of these lose members and dissolve the question of who is responsible for the upkeep of a memorial sometimes becomes a problem. For memorials built in more recent years the custody arrangements are more formal such as those memorials in Canberra which are the responsibility of the Natio
