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Mount Pleasant (Australian Capital Territory)
Encyclopedia
Mount Pleasant in Canberra
overlooks the Australian Defence Force Academy
and Royal Military College
at Duntroon
, Australia
.
On the top of the hill is a memorial to all ranks of the Royal Regiment of Australian Artillery
.
Mount Pleasant is a gun saluting station from which Australia's Federation Guard
provides 21-gun salute
s on ceremonial occasions.
On the slopes of the hill overlooking the college is the grave of William Throsby Bridges
, the first commandant of the college and one of only two Australia
n World War I
soldiers killed in action or died of wounds who was buried in Australia. The other is The Unknown Soldier
, disinterred from a French grave and buried at the Australian War Memorial
in 1991. Bridges was the commander of the 1st Australian Division at Gallipoli
.
While touring the lines on 15 May 1915, Bridges was shot through the femoral artery
by a Turkish
sniper. Dragged to safety he was evacuated to the hospital ship Gascon where he died the following day. His body was returned to Melbourne
where he received a state funeral. He was buried on 3 September 1915, on the slopes of Mount Pleasant. The grave was designed by Walter Burley Griffin
, the designer of Canberra. It is the only permanent structure designed by Griffin ever built in Canberra. The memorial stone on the grave was unveiled in 1920.
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
overlooks the Australian Defence Force Academy
Australian Defence Force Academy
The Australian Defence Force Academy is a tri-service military Academy that provides military and tertiary academic education for junior officers of the Australian Defence Force in the Royal Australian Navy , Australian Army and Royal Australian Air Force .Tertiary education is provided by the...
and Royal Military College
Royal Military College, Duntroon
The Royal Military College, Duntroon is the Australian Army's officer training establishment. It was founded at Duntroon, in the Australian Capital Territory, in 1911 and is situated on picturesque grounds at the foot of Mount Pleasant near Lake Burley Griffin, close to the Department of Defence...
at Duntroon
Duntroon, Australian Capital Territory
Duntroon is a suburb of the city of Canberra in the Australian Capital Territory.-History:Robert Campbell's property Duntroon was situated on the limestone plains of New South Wales in the area that is now covered by the ACT....
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
On the top of the hill is a memorial to all ranks of the Royal Regiment of Australian Artillery
Royal Regiment of Australian Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Australian Artillery, normally referred to as the Royal Australian Artillery , is a corps of the Australian Army descended from the original colonial artillery units prior to Australia's federation...
.
Mount Pleasant is a gun saluting station from which Australia's Federation Guard
Australia's Federation Guard
The Federation Guard is a tri-service ceremonial unit made up of members from the Royal Australian Navy, Australian Army, and Royal Australian Air Force...
provides 21-gun salute
21-gun salute
Gun salutes are the firing of cannons or firearms as a military or naval honor.The custom stems from naval tradition, where a warship would fire its cannons harmlessly out to sea, until all ammunition was spent, to show that it was disarmed, signifying the lack of hostile intent...
s on ceremonial occasions.
William Throsby Bridges
Major General Sir William Throsby Bridges KCB, CMG served with Australian forces during World War I, and was the first Australian to reach general officer rank...
, the first commandant of the college and one of only two Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
soldiers killed in action or died of wounds who was buried in Australia. The other is The Unknown Soldier
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier refers to a grave in which the unidentifiable remains of a soldier are interred. Such tombs can be found in many nations and are usually high-profile national monuments. Throughout history, many soldiers have died in wars without their remains being identified...
, disinterred from a French grave and buried at the Australian War Memorial
Australian War Memorial
The Australian War Memorial is Australia's national memorial to the members of all its armed forces and supporting organisations who have died or participated in the wars of the Commonwealth of Australia...
in 1991. Bridges was the commander of the 1st Australian Division at Gallipoli
Battle of Gallipoli
The Gallipoli Campaign, also known as the Dardanelles Campaign or the Battle of Gallipoli, took place at the peninsula of Gallipoli in the Ottoman Empire between 25 April 1915 and 9 January 1916, during the First World War...
.
Femoral artery
The femoral artery is a general term comprising a few large arteries in the thigh. They begin at the inguinal ligament and end just above the knee at adductor canal or Hunter's canal traversing the extent of the femur bone....
by a Turkish
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
sniper. Dragged to safety he was evacuated to the hospital ship Gascon where he died the following day. His body was returned to Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
where he received a state funeral. He was buried on 3 September 1915, on the slopes of Mount Pleasant. The grave was designed by Walter Burley Griffin
Walter Burley Griffin
Walter Burley Griffin was an American architect and landscape architect, who is best known for his role in designing Canberra, Australia's capital city...
, the designer of Canberra. It is the only permanent structure designed by Griffin ever built in Canberra. The memorial stone on the grave was unveiled in 1920.