The Anzac Memorial was included on the State Heritage Register (SHR) on 23 April 2010 (listing No. 01822) as recognition of its significance to the state of NSW. Inclusion on the SHR is an indication that the Memorial is of particular importance to the people of NSW, enriches our understanding of our history and identity, is legally protected as a heritage item under the NSW Heritage Act, and now requires approval from the Heritage Council of NSW for major changes. (Further information on the SHR generally is available on the Heritage website).
The statement of significance included in the SHR listing provides a summary of the criteria met by the Memorial, as follows:
"The Anzac Memorial is of historical significance to the State for its embodiment of the collective grief of the people of NSW at the loss of Australian servicemen and women since World War I. It is associated with the landing of Australian troops at Gallipoli on 25 April 1915, since fundraising for the memorial was established on the first anniversary of the landing. It is also associated with returned servicemen and their organisations including the RSL, which lobbied for the erection of the monument and occupied offices within it. The Anzac Memorial is of State aesthetic significance as a great work of public art which is arguably the finest expression of Art Deco monumentality in Australia. The result of an outstanding creative collaboration between architect Bruce Dellit and sculptor Rayner Hoff, it contains complex symbolic embellishments that reinforce and enhance the commemorative meanings of the building. Its landscape context in Hyde Park was purposefully designed for it by Dellit including the large Pool of Reflection lined by poplars. Its positioning on a major axis linked to the Archibald Fountain contributes significantly to the physical character of Hyde Park and the city of Sydney. The Anzac Memorial is of State significance as the largest and most ambitious of the numerous war memorials constructed throughout NSW after the Great War. The memorial is also representative as NSW's contribution to the group of 'national war memorials', whereby each state capital city developed its own major war memorial in the inter-war period. In this group the Anzac Memorial is outstanding in its size, integrity and aesthetic appeal."
The Memorial is also identified as a heritage item in the Sydney Local Environmental Plan 2005 (No. 185 CSHI, No. 8024 in Schedule 8 Central Sydney heritage items, Part1 Heritage items).
In accordance with the NSW Heritage Act 1977 and the State Agency Heritage Guide 2005, the Trustees of the Anzac Memorial report that during 2010 they finalised a wide program of capital works (mostly completed during 2009), and carried out additional maintenance and repairs as required, to maintain the condition of the Anzac Memorial to reflect its state heritage significance.