Villers-Bretonneux is a village about 15 km east of Amiens. The Memorial stands on the high ground ('Hill 104') behind the Villers-Bretonneux Military Cemetery, Fouilloy, which is about 2 km north of Villers-Bretonneux on the east side of the road to Fouilloy.

The Australian National Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux is approached through the Military Cemetery, at the end of which is an open grass lawn which leads into a three-sided court. The two pavilions on the left and right are linked by the north and south walls to the back (east) wall, from which rises the focal point of the Memorial, a 105 foot tall tower, of fine ashlar. A staircase leads to an observation platform, 64 feet above the ground, from which further staircases lead to an observation room. This room contains a circular stone tablet with bronze pointers indicating the Somme villages whose names have become synonymous with battles of the Great War; other battle fields in France and Belgium in which Australians fought; and far beyond, Gallipoli and Canberra.

On the three walls, which are faced with Portland stone, are the names of 10,885 Australians who were killed in France and who have no known grave. The 'blocking course' above them bears the names of the Australian Battle Honours.

After the war an appeal in Australia raised £22,700, of which £12,500 came from Victorian school children, with the request that the majority of the funds be used to build a new school in Villers-Bretonneux. The boys' school opened in May 1927, and contains an inscription stating that the school was the gift of Victorian schoolchildren, twelve hundred of whose fathers are buried in the Villers-Bretonneux cemetery, with the names of many more recorded on the Memorial. Villers-Bretonneux is now twinned with Robinvale, Victoria, which has in its main square a memorial to the links between the two towns.

War service: Western Front

Embarked Adelaide, 12 August 1916; disembarked Devonport, England, 30 September 1916.

Proceeded overseas to France, 5 December 1916; marched into 5th Australian Divisional Base Depot, Etaples, 6 December 1916.

Admitted to Segregation Camp, 4 January 1917; discharged, 15 February 1917.

Proceeded to unit, 10 February 1917; taken on strength of 32nd Bn, in the field, 11 February 1917.

To 5th Army Summer Rest Camp, 27 May 1917.

Found guilty, 4 June 1917, of whilst on active service, being out of the Cayeaux 5th Army area without a permit: awarded 2 days' Field Punishment No 2.

Rejoined unit, 20 June 1917.

Wounded in action, 12 October 1917; admitted to No 3 Australian Field Ambulance, 12 October 1917 (shrapnel wound, face); transferred to Casualty Clearing Station, 12 October 1917; to No 6 General Hospital, Rouen, 13 October 1917; to No 2 Command Depot, 14 October 1917; discharged, 20 October 1917 (Class 'A'); marched into 5th Australian Divisional Base Depot, Le Havre, 24 October 1917.

Proceeded to unit, 27 October 1917; rejoined unit, 1 November 1917.

On leave to the United Kingdom, 29 January 1918; rejoined unit, 14 February 1918.

Wounded in action, 15 June 1916 (2nd occasion), and admitted to No 15 Australian Field Ambulance the same day (bullet wound, back); transferred to No 61 Casualty Clearing Station, 16 June 1918; to No 27 Ambulance Train, 17 June 1918; to No 9 General Hospital, Rouen, 18 June 1918; to No 73 General Hospital, Trouville, 25 June 1918; to No 1 Australian Convalescent Depot, Le Havre, 10 July 1918; discharged, 25 July 1918, and marched into Australian Intermediate Base Depot, Le Havre, the same day.

Proceeded to unit, 28 July 1918; rejoined unit, 28 July 1918.

Killed in action, 29 September 1918.