Alexandra Headland National War Dog Memorial

About

The memorial at The Bluff, Alexandra Headland, on Queensland's Sunshine Coast is the first War Dog memorial in Australia and is classified as the National War Dog Memorial. This was an initiative of the Vietnam Veterans Association of the Sunshine Coast. Under the direction of Vietnam veteran Ian Atkinson, VVAA Sunshine Coast branch was granted council approval to erect a monument to the 11 tracker dogs that served with the Australian Army during the Vietnam War. The memorial is located in a small park overlooking the Pacific Ocean and was dedicated on 7 April 2001. The memorial is constructed of a sandstone block approximately 1.4 metres high featuring a carved profile of a Labrador dog. The carving was created by Vietnam veteran and stonemason Dick Meisenhelter. At the base of the monument is a drinking trough where local dog owners can water their animals while walking their dogs. Additional Information It was Australian Army policy that the tracker dogs not be brought home at the end of their service. Established in 2001. The memorial is located at GPS Latitude: -26.675273°, Longitude: 153.115324°