In 1897 Sir John Forrest was able to acquire for Kings Park what had originally been privately owned land at the top of Mt Eliza, so the view could never be blocked. We, and the generations to come, should be perpetually grateful for his far-sightedness.

The entire precinct of the Western Australian State War Memorial at the height of the Park is a unique place of symbolism and great beauty, and the ANZAC Bluff plaque has a significant place within it.

The plaque was dedicated on 21 April 1974. Attached to the railing on the riverside of the Cenotaph, the bronze plaque is formed in the shape of the rising sun, the emblem of the Australian Imperial Force of the First World War.

At the dedication, the steep cliff side was renamed “ANZAC Bluff” because the area below the Cenotaph resembled Ari Burnu at Gallipoli. This was where the ANZACs landed and fought their way up the steep slopes above the beach.

More than 11,400 Australians and New Zealanders died from their service in the Gallipoli campaign of 1915. More than 21,000 British died and more than 86,000 Turks died. After the war the Turks renamed Ari Burnu to ANZAC Cove.

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