The Memorial has three main elements which together physically represent the roles of Australian Peacekeepers – military, police and civilians - in the service of international peace and security.

Through the passageway of light is the second element, the cobblestone Courtyard, a peaceful gathering space for personal reflection and ceremonial purposes.

At the rear, the peaceful ambiance of the courtyard is contained by the third element, a single massive black polished masonry Commemorative Beam denoting the strength and stability that results from peacekeeping activities.

Below the beam is a white concrete inclined plane surface with bronze fixings for placing commemorative wreaths or remembrance flowers.

Over 60,000 Australians have served in peacekeeping missions, some have been killed or died whilst overseas and many have been injured or traumatised by their experiences, and through them, their families have been adversely affected.

Other veterans’ associations within Australia soon joined the call to address the fact that there was no national memorial to provide a focus for remembrance and commemoration of peacekeepers.

The committee was also aided by a number of Australian companies who provided pro bono support rather than direct financial donation.

The four practices involved were asked to develop their designs to a level that would allow a competition jury, established by the APMP committee, to better assess their final appearance and to provide reasonable estimates for the cost of construction.

The APMP committee made the decision to limit the selection of a construction contractor to those which were well established within the Australian Capital Territory and its environs.

Having assessed these proposals in detail, in November 2010 the panel selected Manteena Pty Ltd to develop a test prototype and to construct the Memorial itself.

This risk reduction program proved well worth the relatively small expense, and the detailed design drawings were duly modified and a revised cost plan produced by the quantity surveyor.

On successful completion of the prototype program in September 2011, sufficient funds remained to procure long lead-time materials required for the construction.

This decision meant reverting to the original single stage design and further re-arranging the construction program with its attendant disruptions to sequencing of trades and supplies, etc..

Despite the disruption to the development plan, Manteena and its subcontractors were able to achieve "substantial completion" of the Memorial to enable dedication by the Governor General on the 70th Anniversary of Australian Peacekeeping on 14 September 2017.

Escalation over 12 years of inflation was kept to the barest minimum through cost reviews and detailed re-design effort to find more economical methods of construction or materials.

The Australian Peacekeeping Memorial was dedicated by the Governor-General, His Excellency General Sir Peter Cosgrove AK MC, on 14 September 2017.

The Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, the Hon Dan Tehan MP; and the project's Patron-in-Chief, His Excellency General David Hurley AC, Governor of New South Wales, were guests of honour.

Therefore, the ceremony on 14 September 2018 was conducted to both dedicate the new national memorial and to commemorate 70 years of Australia's involvement in peacekeeping missions.

The ceremonies were well attended by veterans, federal and state politicians, senior officers and officials of the ADF, AFP and government departments, and foreign dignitaries.