The East Maitland War Memorial is a rectangular stone pillar, standing more than three metres tall. It is positioned on three stone steps, with two sets of stairs leading up to the memorial on its south-west and north-east sides. The south-west side is considered the front of the memorial. It bears the original dedication to those who served in the First World War and is decorated with a bronze wreath. The names of the servicemen are inscribed on the front and two other sides of the monument. The back, or north-east side, is inscribed with the names of the Mayors from 1914 to 1919. Inscriptions honouring the Second World War and later conflicts are also included on the memorial, and a plaque commemorating the 50th anniversary of the end of the Second World War is attached to the bottom of the front side. The memorial is flanked by two flagpoles. The left pole flies the Australian flag and the right pole flies the New Zealand flag. It is also surrounded by two fences. The inner fence consists of short stone pillars, joined by chain. The outer fence consists of taller stone pillars, joined by stainless steel rails. The memorial's fences have undergone conservation work, proudly supported by grants from the NSW Government's Community War Memorials Fund.