THE much-anticipated opening of the Anzac Memorial Walk at The Hill was on schedule on Friday night, despite damaging storms ravaging the city just days earlier.
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The $4.5 million, 450-metre walk at The Hill features life-sized steel cut-outs at either end of the walk, bearing the names of more than 3600 Hunter armed servicemen and women who served and died in World War I.
It includes a 160-metre- long bridge, seven Y-shaped columns and 23 interpretative signs.
It was dubbed Memorial Walk as a tribute to the adjacent road, Memorial Drive, named after those who died in World War I.
The walk was opened by Newcastle businessman Neil Slater, who pitched the idea to build the memorial in the first place. Mr Slater said opening the walk was one of the proudest moments his life.
He thanked former Newcastle state MP Tim Owen, who helped to obtain the funding. Also joining them were the Anglican Dean of Newcastle, Stephen Williams, who blessed the site, and lord mayor Nuatali Nelmes.
