The Firefighters’ Memorial Grove 

The start of summer in the south of Western Australia has already been marked by the outbreak of several major bushfires. The Firefighters’ Memorial Grove in Kings Park provides a moving commemoration to Western Australian firefighters who have been injured or have lost their lives, as well as to the services offered to the community by all firefighters and emergency services.

The Fire and Emergency Services Authority commissioned the Grove to mark its centenary in 2000. The sculpture features a symbolic sandstone flame and the hollowed-out remains of a burnt tree trunk, sculpted from granite. Five carved blocks of sandstone align with the stars of the Southern Cross constellation. The Memorial was designed by Jon Tarry.

Two life-size bronze statues were added to the Grove in 2014. They depict the sorrow felt by firefighters on losing a comrade and provide a fitting and poignant tribute to the courage and selflessness of firefighting personnel.

International Firefighters Day is on 4 May and coincides with the feast day of St Florian, the patron saint of firefighters. On or around this day, an annual service is held at the Memorial to honour fallen firefighters. In 2024, eight new names were added to the Honour Roll and the plaques at the Memorial Grove now hold the names of 94 volunteer and career firefighters who have lost their lives.

Fittingly, the Firefighters’ Memorial Grove sits beside the Kings Park Bushland Nature Trail and is surrounded by plantings of smokebush, firewood banksia and slender banskia.

The words on the Memorial are worth reading in full:

The Firefighters’ Memorial Grove honours the bravery, service and sacrifice of thousands of firefighters in Western Australia over many generations. It is an enduring tribute to their courage in the face of overwhelming odds. These ordinary, yet extraordinary men and women give of themselves for the sake of others. Remember them with pride. When you gather here, pause to observe the fragile relationship between fire and the community. For eons people have used fire in diverse ways – in ceremonies and signals, for warmth and power, to harvest and regenerate. Fire is a constant factor in the Australian environment and lifestyle. Ever vigilant, we strive to prevent it, to be prepared for it and to use it wisely. Within this memorial, the Arc, like the base of a tree hollowed by fire, is a quiet place for contemplation and reflection. The symbolic flame is a reminder of inherent danger. Linking the earth to the sky, the stone markers are aligned with the stars of the Southern Cross – a symbol of the Australian nation, past, present and future.

Pause here a while and pay tribute.

The Firefighters’ Memorial Grove is located on Forrest Drive near the DNA Tower. If you would like help in finding it, please pop into the Visitor Information Centre for a map and directions.

December 2024