National Memorial for Victims and Survivors of Institutional Child Sexual Abuse

About the National Memorial 

A National Memorial for Victims and Survivors of Institutional Child Sexual Abuse will be built in Canberra for victims, survivors, their families and friends, and the broader community, to provide a place of reflection and recognition of the truth, offer a symbol of hope and a place to gather.  

The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse (Royal Commission) recommended building a national memorial in Canberra for victims and survivors of child sexual abuse in institutional settings. 

We are working with the National Capital Authority to design and build the National Memorial on Acton Peninsula in Canberra. 

The National Memorial will acknowledge the experiences of victims and survivors. It will recognise the courage of those who have fought for justice. It will honour lives lost and those whose voices were not heard. 

The National Memorial aims to educate people of the harmful and lasting impacts of institutional child sexual abuse. It provides a reminder of the continued responsibility we all share to protect children now and into the future. 

The design 

The National Capital Authority ran a national design competition in 2021 to select a design for the National Memorial. 

The design underwent technical assessments that revealed complex construction challenges. Following extensive consultations, the government decided to commence a new design selection process. 

The new memorial design will be selected through an open Approach to Market process through AusTender. This commenced in May 2024. Construction of the National Memorial is expected to begin in 2025, following the design selection. The memorial is scheduled to be completed in 2026. 

The Australian Government committed a further $1.1 million toward the National Memorial in May 2024. This additional funding ensures the value and quality of the memorial is not diminished by inflation increases in the construction sector. The National Capital Authority has also committed an additional $300,000 in funding support. These additional commitments bring the total administered funding for the memorial project to $7.9 million. 

Enquires about the design procurement and construction of the National Memorial should be directed to the National Capital Authority at RCMemorial@nca.gov.au.

For further information and next steps, read the Frequently Asked Questions.

Thanks to the National Memorial Advisory Group 

We would like to extend our sincere thanks and appreciation to the National Memorial Advisory Group for their continued work and commitment to this project. This group was established to perform a key advisory role to the department and National Capital Authority, to inform and oversee key stages of the memorial’s development to ensure the character and expression of the National Memorial represents the voices of victims and survivors.