The Story Behind Hyde Park's Second War Memorial

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Been wondering about the story behind those massive bullets in Hyde Park? You can now find out easily — and for free. At four spots near the sculpture, which is titled Yininmadyemi Thou Didst Let Fall, the City of Sydney has installed tiny transmitters. Known as iBeacons, these devices can talk to your smartphone. And, if you happen to be passing by, and have the City’s free Culture Walk App installed, they’ll let you know that they have a story for you.

That story is the one that inspired indigenous artist Tony Albert to create the artwork. Yininmadyemi Thou Didst Let Fall is made up of four bullets, each weighing 1.5 tonnes and towering at 7 metres, as well as three fallen shells. These seven objects honour Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander diggers — both those who were killed and those who made it home.

For Albert, who hails from far north Queensland and whose family includes Girrimay, Yidinji and Kuku Yalandji people, the Second World War has personal resonance. His grandfather Eddie, along with six other soldiers, managed to flee from a German prisoner-of-war camp but fell into the hands of Italian soldiers.

Their new captors lined them up for execution and, with three men down, suddenly realised they’d made a big mistake. As POWs, Eddie and his companions should not have been killed, but instead, sent back to Germany. Eddie survived, but, on returning to Australia, received vastly different treatment to that of his white counterparts.

“I feel the most powerful artworks relating to war are those that use bold and evocative images to stir strong emotions in visitors,” says Albert. “In a similar vein, I feel the scale of the bullets, at 100 times their original size, also lends the power of abstraction to this artwork. I have chosen the very confronting image of the bullet as it is a universal signifier for conflict, and I have chosen to arrange the bullets with some standing and some fallen over to tell a story.”

“Tony has created a striking and dramatic artwork that becomes even more meaningful when you understand the story behind it," adds Lord Mayor Clover Moore. "I encourage everyone to download the free app and visit Yininmadyemi Thou Didst Let Fall to hear the audio and to pay tribute to the sacrifice and commitment of our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander servicemen and women.”

The City of Sydney will trial the iBeacons for 12 months. The initiative is a collaboration with Meld Strategies, Brand Culture and Beaconmaker. So far, more than 20,000 people have downloaded the Culture Walk App, which covers more than 400 of Sydney’s historical and public art sites, and includes ten walking tours.

Find out more about the City’s public art collection at the City Art website.