On Sunday, May 22, 1966 at 11:45 am the Honourable Prime Minister L.F.S. Burnham, as part of a week of activities to celebrate the birth of Guyana, an independent nation, unveiled the `Monument to Freedom’. The Independence Arch was handed over by the managing director of the Demerara Bauxite Company, Mr. J.G. Campbell as a gift to the people of Guyana on the achievement of their Independence.

Mr. Campbell stated that “it was justly fitting and proper that DEMBA should be responsible for the project as the company had been an increasingly significant economic factor in this country for the past fifty years.”

He further remarked that the arch could be described as “truly Guyanese” as it was built of materials that would endure time and the elements, namely aluminium metal that was from bauxite mined and processed into aluminium in Mackenzie, and quartz stone from the Mazaruni River.

The arch was designed by Canadian engineer Eric Flack. Its design was said to be “modern and unique; springing from a common rock three arches taper upwards, towards the cloud, representing the three counties of Essequibo, Berbice and Demerara. The six granite posts at the base of each arch symbolise the six peoples of Guyana.

Chairman of the Arch Committee, Mr. Aubrey Barker stated that:

It was proposed in later years to locate the capital’s civic and cultural precinct on the lands of D’Urban Park: in time therefore he said that the Arch would be a fitting gateway to an important civic centre.

Brickdam is one of the finest streets in Georgetown lying along the centre of Stabroek, the oldest part of the city, “this site therefore at the head of Brickdam, linking our turbulent past with our exciting future”.

For these reasons, Brickdam was deemed a fitting location for an arch commemorating our independence.

Shortly after receiving DEMBA’s gift, the Prime Minister entrusted it into the safe keeping of City Mayor Rahaman B. Gajraj, the municipality and the people of Georgetown. In his acceptance speech of the arch, Mr. Gajraj stated that the citizens of Georgetown would treasure the monument. He added: “I charge the people of Georgetown to keep this monument in perfect order so that we can pass it to future generations in the same lustre and beauty as we have received it.”