Anzac Square is Brisbane’s State War Memorial: a public place for remembrance in the city centre, rather than an attraction to hurry through. The Anzac Square & Memorial Galleries (opens in a new tab) describe it as a permanent reminder of people who served and died in conflict and peace since the 1899 Boer War. Its parklands hold the Shrine of Remembrance and Eternal Flame, while three galleries below commemorate Queensland stories from the First World War, Second World War and the post-1945 period.
Begin with the place, then the stories beneath it
The square’s physical form gives a visit its pace. The Shrine of Remembrance record (opens in a new tab) describes a Grecian Doric circular colonnade of 18 columns, representing 1918, with an Eternal Flame at its centre. It was dedicated on Armistice Day, 11 November 1930, to commemorate Queenslanders who fought and died in the First World War. The memorial’s details are not a prompt to treat the site as a backdrop; they are an invitation to slow down, read the setting and consider why public memorials were created for those whose graves were often overseas.
Brisbane City Council includes Anzac Square on its City Centre Heritage Place Trail (opens in a new tab) at 228 Adelaide Street. That route places it among civic, religious and commercial sites, but the square merits time in its own right. It can be a quiet pause between Central Station and the CBD, or the starting point for a more deliberate visit to the galleries.
Visit the Memorial Galleries with current details in hand
The Memorial Galleries are located beneath Anzac Square and the Ann Street footpath. The official visitor guide (opens in a new tab) says entry is free, with galleries open Sunday to Friday from 10am to 4pm and closed on Saturdays and public holidays, apart from specific Anzac Day hours. It also notes a planned closure on the King’s Birthday public holiday, Monday 5 October 2026. Check the live page before travelling because these practical details can change.
Enter via the double brass doors beneath the Shrine of Remembrance or through the pedestrian rail tunnel connecting Central Station and the parkland. All entrances and gallery areas are wheelchair accessible. The site permits photography, while asking visitors not to touch memorial plaques and to keep food and drink out of the galleries except bottled water. These are small practical requirements, but they support the reflective purpose of the place.
Approach the memorials with care
The square contains more than one story of service. The official site records an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Memorial (opens in a new tab), unveiled on 27 May 2022, to honour Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men and women who served and sacrificed their lives. Let the galleries and on-site interpretation lead the visit rather than assuming one monument can stand for every experience of war and service.
A respectful visit does not need an elaborate ritual. Allow time to move through the parkland quietly, use the galleries to add context, and observe any current guidance at the site. Anzac Square offers a way to encounter Queensland’s commemorative history in the middle of Brisbane while keeping the people remembered there at the centre of the experience.
Sources
Sources last validated: 14 September 2026.