Vignette 134: Roseworthy Memorial Chapel

The Memorial Chapel remembers students who served and died in the Boer War, the First World War, and the Second World War.

The public appeal for funds began in 1945, 10 years before the Chapel’s construction. Then came the design competition, sponsored by the South Australian branch of the Australian Institute of Architects. The winners were Dean W Berry and Stephen Gilbert. The Memorial Chapel was built at the rural Roseworthy Agricultural College, which later became the University’s Roseworthy campus.

Above the Chapel’s entrance is the Waikerie limestone sculpture of a soldier, discarding his uniform, ready to return to the land. It was made by sculptor, painter, and writer John Dowie AM, who served in the Second World War, and understood the lot of the soldier.

The University of Adelaide: 150 Years of Making History.  Preserving a legacy.  p.181