[1] The Sarina War Memorial was erected for the ANZAC Day (25 April) ceremonies of 1919 and was produced by Melrose and Fenwick, monumental masons of Townsville.

[2][3] The town of Sarina is located 35 kilometres (22 mi) south of Mackay and was originally established as a pastoral holding.

This, coupled with the impracticality of visiting distant graves ensured war memorials became an expression of public mourning, revered as cenotaphs (literally meaning 'empty tomb') by those who erected them.

In addition to listing the local men who served and fell in the First World War, many memorials also display details regarding unveiling ceremonies and fund-raising committees, making them invaluable as social and historical documents.

They are even more valuable when it is considered that all other documentary records of those who served in the First World War are listed either alphabetically or by military units, making it virtually impossible to determine the original locality of a specific serviceman.

It was the most popular choice of communities responsible for erecting the memorials, embodying the ANZAC spirit and representing the qualities of the ideal Australian: loyalty, courage, youth, innocence and masculinity The digger was a phenomenon peculiar to Queensland, perhaps due to the fact that other states had followed Britain's lead and established Advisory Boards made up of architects and artists, prior to the erection of war memorials The digger statue was not highly regarded by artists and architects who were involved in the design of relatively few Queensland memorials.

The first fence is located on the pad on which the memorial sits and comprises picked stone bollards, square in plan, and linked by metal rails.

[1] The memorial itself sits on a stepped base of five tiers which vary in size, the last two having chamfered tops Surmounting this is the pedestal itself, comprising a plinth capped with cyma recta mouldings and a dado.

[1] The soldier statue stands with his head slightly bowed and hands crossed over a rifle which is in the reversed positioned and resting on his left boot.

War Memorials are important in demonstrating the pattern of Queensland's history as they are representative of a recurrent theme that involved most communities throughout the state.

[1] The memorial at Sarina demonstrates the principal characteristics of a commemorative structure erected as an enduring record of a major historical event.

[1] The place has a special association with the life or work of a particular person, group or organisation of importance in Queensland's history.