The Spirit of Sacrifice
The Spirit of Sacrifice In 1915, thousands of soldiers marched through decorated streets to Port Adelaide wharf. One soldier recalled onlookers hurling streamers from the wharf onto the troopship, creating a ‘picture of colour’. Another soldier wrote of people hiring small boats, rowing out to the troopship and handing out chocolates and cigarettes. By 1918, of the 35,000 South Australians who had enlisted in the Great War, 5511 had been killed at dreaded places such as Gallipoli, Fromelles, the Somme, and Passchendaele. This stunning memorial, The Spirit of Sacrifice, is dedicated to them. The project was first conceived in 1919, with its construction taking three years and costing 30,000 pounds. The marble angel framed within the main granite arch represents the ‘spirit of duty’, and holds a sword in the shape of a cross signifying ‘battle and sacrifice’. The three bronze figures below the angel are of a student, a farmer with a plough, and a young girl....