2013-04-25 AWM Anzac Dawn - Ben Roberts-Smith VC

The Australian War Memorial is

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

's national

memorial A memorial is an object or place which serves as a focus for the memory or the commemoration of something, usually an influential, deceased person or a historical, tragic event. Popular forms of memorials include landmark objects or works of a ...

to the members of its

armed forces A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...

and supporting organisations who have died or participated in wars involving the Commonwealth of Australia and some conflicts involving personnel from the Australian colonies prior to Federation. Opened in 1941, the memorial includes an extensive national

military A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...

museum. The memorial is located in Australia's capital,

Canberra Canberra ( ) is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The ci ...

, in the suburb of . The Australian War Memorial forms the north terminus of the city's ceremonial land axis, which stretches from Parliament House on Capital Hill along a line passing through the summit of the cone-shaped

Mount Ainslie Mount Ainslie is a hill with an elevation of that is located in the northeastern suburbs of Canberra, in the Australian Capital Territory, Australia. Mount Ainslie lies within part of the Canberra Nature Park. Location and features Mount Ain ...

to the northeast. No continuous roadway links the two points, but there is a clear line of sight from the front balcony of Parliament House to the war memorial, and from the front steps of the war memorial back to Parliament House. The Australian War Memorial consists of three parts: the Commemorative Area (shrine) including the Hall of Memory with the Tomb of the Unknown Australian Soldier, the memorial's galleries (museum) and Research Centre (records). The memorial also has an outdoor

Sculpture Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...

Garden. The memorial is open daily from 10am until 5pm, excluding Christmas Day. Other monuments and memorials located on the adjacent Anzac Parade are maintained separately by the

National Capital Authority The National Capital Authority (NCA) is a statutory authority of the Australian Government that was established to manage the Commonwealth's interest in the planning and development of Canberra as the capital city of Australia. Timeline of th ...

(NCA) and do not form part of the Australian War Memorial.

History

Charles Bean Charles Edwin Woodrow Bean (18 November 1879 – 30 August 1968), usually identified as C. E. W. Bean, was Australia's official war correspondent, subsequently its official war historian, who wrote six volumes and edited the remaining six of ...

, Australia's official

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

historian, first conceived a museum memorial to Australian soldiers while observing the 1916 battles in France. The

Australian War Records Section The Australian War Records Section was an Australian military unit of World War I responsible for collecting and preserving records and artifacts relating to Australia's experiences in the war. The section was formed on 16 May 1917 under the comm ...

was established in May 1917 to ensure preservation of records relating to the war being fought at the time. Records and relics were exhibited first in Melbourne and later Canberra. An architecture competition in 1927 did not produce a winning entry. Two of the entrants, Sydney architects

Emil Sodersten Emil Lawrence Sodersten (30 August 1899 – 14 December 1961) was an Australian architect active in the second quarter of the 20th century. His work encompassed the Australian architectural styles of Art Deco and Functionalist & Moderne. His de ...

and John Crust, were however encouraged to re-present a joint design. A limited budget and the effects of the Depression confined the scope of the project. The memorial was initially planned as a museum memorial dedicated solely to the remembrance of Australian involvement in

. However, in 1939, as it became clear that a second war of similar proportions would break out, the memorial's Board of Management decided to make the building a space for the remembrance of all Australian involvement in war. This involvement would be characterised as a continuation of Australia's experience of

. The building was completed in 1941, after the outbreak of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. It was officially opened following a Remembrance Day ceremony on 11 November 1941 by the then

Governor-General Governor-general (plural ''governors-general''), or governor general (plural ''governors general''), is the title of an office-holder. In the context of governors-general and former British colonies, governors-general are appointed as viceroy t ...

Lord Gowrie, a former soldier whose honours include the

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...

. Additions since the 1940s have allowed the remembrance of Australia's participation in all recent conflicts. The

Tomb of the Unknown Australian Soldier A tomb ( grc-gre, τύμβος ''tumbos'') is a repository for the remains of the dead. It is generally any structurally enclosed interment space or burial chamber, of varying sizes. Placing a corpse into a tomb can be called ''immuremen ...

was added in 1993, to mark the 75th anniversary of the end of

Directors

The following individuals have served as directors of the Australian War Memorial:

Remembrance Driveway

Remembrance Nature Park, located behind the war memorial, is the Canberra terminus of the Remembrance Driveway, a system of

arboreal Arboreal locomotion is the Animal locomotion, locomotion of animals in trees. In habitats in which trees are present, animals have evolved to move in them. Some animals may scale trees only occasionally, but others are exclusively arboreal. Th ...

parks, landmarks and road-side stops between Sydney and Canberra commemorating the 24 World War II and Vietnam War Victoria Cross recipients. Within that nature park is a small bronze plaque mounted on a large boulder, commemorating Indigenous Australians who have fought for their country.

Anzac Parade

Anzac Parade is a short, broad boulevard named in honour of the soldiers of the

Australian and New Zealand Army Corps The Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) was a First World War army corps of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force. It was formed in Egypt in December 1914, and operated during the Gallipoli campaign. General William Birdwood comma ...

(ANZAC). It stretches from near the north shore of

Lake Burley Griffin Lake Burley Griffin is an artificial lake in the centre of Canberra, the capital of Australia. It was completed in 1963 after the Molonglo River, which ran between the city centre and Parliamentary Triangle, was dammed. It is named after Walte ...

to the foot of the memorial proper, along the line of sight from Parliament House. It separates the residential suburbs of

Campbell Campbell may refer to: People Surname * Campbell (surname), includes a list of people with surname Campbell Given name * Campbell Brown (footballer), an Australian rules footballer * Campbell Brown (journalist) (born 1968), American television ne ...

and

Reid Reid is a surname of Scottish origin. It means "red". People with the surname * Alan Reid (disambiguation) * Alex Reid (disambiguation), includes Alexander Reid * Amanda Reid, Australian Paralympic athlete * Amanda Reid (taxonomist), Australia ...

, and is fairly heavily trafficked as a route between northeast Canberra ( Dickson etc.) and Kings Avenue Bridge. Along each side of the Parade is a row of monuments commemorating specific military campaigns or services, such as the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...

and Australia's wartime nurses. The monuments are mostly sculptures in a variety of styles ranging from naturalistic to

Modern Modern may refer to: History * Modern history ** Early Modern period ** Late Modern period *** 18th century *** 19th century *** 20th century ** Contemporary history * Moderns, a faction of Freemasonry that existed in the 18th century Phil ...

. The foot of the Parade, near the lake, is paired by monumental sculptures in the form of gigantic basket handles, donated to the memorial by

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

. The two monuments are dedicated to Australia and New Zealand respectively, and are inspired by the

Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the C ...

proverb ''Mau tena kiwai o te kete, maku tenei'', "Each of us at a handle of the basket", signifying the long tradition of cooperation and general closeness between the two Commonwealth countries. The symbolic association of the two nations is carried forward in the vegetation decorating Anzac Parade. Long beds of New Zealand '' Hebe'' shrubs line the middle of the avenue, and behind the two rows of monuments are narrow bands of Australian eucalypt trees. File:AWMAnzacParade.JPG, Looking along Anzac Parade to the War Memorial at the foot of Mount Ainslie File:The National War Memorial, Canberra.JPG, The entrance to the Australian War Memorial from Anzac Parade File:Remembrance Nature Park.jpg, Remembrance Nature Park File:Anzac Parade Canberra 2014-09-16.jpg, Anzac Parade looking down from the war memorial

Commemorative area

The memorial proper is sited on a broad pie slice-shaped lawn at the north end of Anzac Parade. The commemorative area is situated in the open centre of the memorial building, (including the cloisters to each side and the Hall of Memory under the building's central dome) and the sculpture garden is on the lawn to the west. The heart of the commemorative area is the ''Hall of Memory'', a tall domed chapel with a small floor plan in the form of an octagon. The walls are lined with tiny mosaic tiles from the floor to the dome. Inside lies the

. Three of the walls, facing east, west and south feature stained glass designs representing qualities of Australian servicemen and women. At the four walls facing northeast, northwest, southeast and southwest are mosaic images of a sailor, a servicewoman, a soldier and an airman respectively. The mosaic and stained glass are the work of the one-armed Australian muralist Napier Waller, who lost his right arm at Bullecourt during World War I and learned to write and create his works with his left arm. He completed his work in 1958. In front of the Hall of Memory is a narrow courtyard with a memorial pool surrounding an eternal flame and flanked by footpaths and shrubbery, including plantings of

rosemary ''Salvia rosmarinus'' (), commonly known as rosemary, is a shrub with fragrant, evergreen, needle-like leaves and white, pink, purple, or blue flowers, native plant, native to the Mediterranean Region, Mediterranean region. Until 2017, it was kn ...

for remembrance. Above the courtyard to either side are long cloisters containing the ''Roll of Honour'', a series of bronze plaques naming the 103,010 Australian servicemen and women killed in conflict or on peacekeeping operations. The plaques include names dating back to the British Sudanese Expedition, the

Second Boer War The Second Boer War ( af, Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, the Anglo–Boer War, or the South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics (the Sout ...

, and the

Boxer Rebellion The Boxer Rebellion, also known as the Boxer Uprising, the Boxer Insurrection, or the Yihetuan Movement, was an anti-foreign, anti-colonial, and anti-Christian uprising in China between 1899 and 1901, towards the end of the Qing dynasty, by ...

. The entire long wall of the west gallery is covered with the names of the 66,000 who died during or as a result of wounds, injuries or illness resulting from service in World War I between 4 August 1914 and 31 March 1921. The thousands of veterans who died as a result of war wounds after 31 March 1921 are not memorialised in the Roll of Honour. The east gallery is covered with the names of those who died during or after World War II between 3 September 1939 and 30 June 1947 and other conflicts or military operations since. The roll shows the names only, not rank or other awards, as "all men are equal in death". Visiting relatives and friends insert

poppies Poppies can refer to: *Poppy, a flowering plant *The Poppies (disambiguation) - multiple uses *''Poppies (film)'' - Children's BBC remembrance animation *"Poppies", a song by Patti Smith Group from their 1976 album ''Radio Ethiopia'' *"Poppies", th ...

in the gaps between the bronze plaques, beside the names of those they wish to honour. This tradition originated when the Unknown Australian Soldier was interred, as the poppies were originally intended for his grave. Many continue to be inserted beside the names of those who died. The memorial only remove the poppies when the plaques have to be rewaxed for their preservation, otherwise, the memorial staff make no effort to remove them. The Colonial Gallery previously located behind the Temporary Exhibits Gallery states that the Imperial Bushman

Breaker Morant Harry "The Breaker" Harbord Morant (born Edwin Henry Murrant, 9 December 1864 – 27 February 1902), more popularly known as Breaker Morant, was an Anglo-Australian drover, horseman, bush poet, military officer, and war criminal who was co ...

of the Boer War does not appear in the Roll of Honour, not because he was dishonoured, but because he was not a member of the Australian armed forces. Conversely with the inclusion of the commemorative book which lists the names of all the Australians who died in service of other allied armies, he is also absent, this is due to the fact that he was neither serving in an allied regular unit, nor was technically an Australian Citizen at the time. In September 2022, the Roll of Honour passed the 103,000 milestone point for names of Australian service personnel killed in war and war-like operations.

Last Post ceremony

The memorial started conducting Last Post ceremonies on 17 April 2013 when they featured the story of Private Robert Poate of the 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, who was killed in Afghanistan in 2012. When the memorial closes each day, there is a Last Post ceremony at which visitors can gather at the entrance of the Commemorative Area. This ceremony involves the reading of the story of one of the 102,815 people whose names are on the Roll of Honour. The host welcomes visitors to the ceremony, which starts with the national anthem and a brief explanation as to the origins of the memorial and the explanation of the ceremony that is about to take place. Then a

piper Piper may refer to: People * Piper (given name) * Piper (surname) Arts and entertainment Fictional characters Comics * Piper (Morlock), in the Marvel Universe * Piper (Mutate), in the Marvel Universe Television * Piper Chapman, lea ...

and a

bugler The bugle is one of the simplest brass instruments, normally having no valves or other pitch-altering devices. All pitch control is done by varying the player's embouchure. History The bugle developed from early musical or communication i ...

descend from the Hall of Memory. The piper plays "

Flowers of the Forest ''Flowers of the Forest'', or ''The Fluuers o the Forest'' (Roud 3812), is a Scottish folk tune and work of war poetry commemorating the defeat of the Scottish army, and the death of James IV, at the Battle of Flodden in September 1513. Although ...

" as visitors, family members of the individual being honoured that day, or visiting dignitaries lay wreaths of floral tributes at the base of the Pool of Reflection beside a portrait (if available) of whomever is the subject of that day's story. If there is no photo on record, the image of a tri-folded Australian flag is displayed in its place. After, a member of the

Australian Defence Force The Australian Defence Force (ADF) is the military organisation responsible for the defence of the Commonwealth of Australia and its national interests. It consists of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), Australian Army, Royal Australian Air Forc ...

(ADF) reads out the story, covering where the honoured person grew up, what they did prior to enlisting in the ADF, what actions (if any) they participated in during their respective conflict, and invariably the circumstances of their death and burial. Following this the ADF member will ascend to the balcony above the Eternal Flame and recite the

Ode of Remembrance "For the Fallen" is a poem written by Laurence Binyon. It was first published in ''The Times'' in September 1914. Over time, the third and fourth stanzas of the poem (usually now just the fourth) have been claimed as a tribute to all casualti ...

. The piper will then play the "

Last Post The "Last Post" is either an A or a B♭ bugle call, primarily within British infantry and Australian infantry regiments, or a D or an E♭ cavalry trumpet call in British cavalry and Royal Regiment of Artillery (Royal Horse Artillery and Ro ...

". At the completion of this the ADF member, the piper, and bugler will return to the Hall of Memory and the doors will be closed. The host then gives a closing address and the memorial officially closes. On 14 January 2016, the memorial held its 1,000th Last Post ceremony where it featured the story of Flight Sergeant Lindsay Arthur Bayley, who was killed on active service with No. 9 Squadron, Royal Air Force, during the Second World War. On Anzac Day and Remembrance Day, the Eulogy to the Unknown (the speech made by then Prime Minister

Paul Keating Paul John Keating (born 18 January 1944) is an Australian former politician and unionist who served as the 24th prime minister of Australia from 1991 to 1996, holding office as the leader of the Australian Labor Party (ALP). He previously serv ...

when the Unknown Australian Soldier was interred) is read instead of a specific individual. Along with Christmas Day, when the memorial is closed, these are the only days on which the Last Post ceremony does not take place. Barring any further additions to the Roll of Honour it will not be until 2295 that all of the names on the Roll of Honour would have had their stories read. During the COVID-19 Pandemic, and the closure of the Australian War Memorial during that time, the Last Post ceremony was temporarily suspended, with rebroadcasts, or stories told via deployed service personnel focusing on those stories already told that had audio or video issues.

Forecourt and Stone of Remembrance

The forecourt is the part of the commemorative area that is the main place in Canberra where Anzac Day and

Remembrance Day Remembrance Day (also known as Poppy Day owing to the tradition of wearing a remembrance poppy) is a memorial day observed in Commonwealth member states since the end of the First World War to honour armed forces members who have died in t ...

services are held. These services are normally attended by federal parliament representatives and officials from foreign embassies and Commonwealth high commissions, most notably New Zealand. The Stone of Remembrance is the focal point for these activities, and the steps from the memorial towards Anzac Parade lead to the stone then to the Parade. The grassed sides of the forecourt form a natural amphitheatre that can accommodate around 35,000 to 40,000 people at a typical Anzac Day Dawn Service. Most will be standing, but the memorial erects some staged seating for Anzac Day and Remembrance Day.

Memorial building

The memorial is a two-storey building with a floor plan in the shape of a Byzantine cross. The building is of

Byzantine architecture Byzantine architecture is the architecture of the Byzantine Empire, or Eastern Roman Empire. The Byzantine era is usually dated from 330 AD, when Constantine the Great moved the Roman capital to Byzantium, which became Constantinople, until th ...

style with strong styling elements of

Art Deco Art Deco, short for the French ''Arts Décoratifs'', and sometimes just called Deco, is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design, that first appeared in France in the 1910s (just before World War I), and flourished in the Unite ...

throughout. In 2001, a new, broad annexe called ''ANZAC Hall'' was added to the north of the original building. In order to preserve the view of the original building from Anzac Parade, Anzac Hall was designed to be recessed in the ground, and hidden behind a wall. The upper level is dedicated primarily to World War I (the entire west wing) and World War II (the entire east wing). The World War I gallery, is arrayed in chronological order from the start of Australia's involvement in the war. The first two sections of the Gallery relate extensively to the

Gallipoli The Gallipoli peninsula (; tr, Gelibolu Yarımadası; grc, Χερσόνησος της Καλλίπολης, ) is located in the southern part of East Thrace, the European part of Turkey, with the Aegean Sea to the west and the Dardanelles ...

campaign. The World War I gallery was redeveloped in 2014 for the centenary of the First World War, and was reopened in November 2014. Between the wings lies ''Aircraft Hall'', which contains a number of complete aircraft, encompassing air power in the Pacific and contains aircraft mostly from the World War II era including a restored Japanese

A6M Zero The Mitsubishi A6M "Zero" is a long-range carrier-based fighter aircraft formerly manufactured by Mitsubishi Aircraft Company, a part of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and was operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy from 1940 to 1945. The A6M was ...

, that was flown in combat over New Guinea. At the 'heart' of the building resides the ''Hall of Valour'', a display of 76 of the 101

es awarded to

Australian soldiers Australian(s) may refer to: Australia * Australia, a country * Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia ** European Australians ** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists ** Aboriginal Au ...

; the largest publicly held collection of Victoria Crosses in the world. The gallery is built to resemble a Victoria Cross with the left hand side dedicated to the WW1 VC recipients, and the right to the WW2, Vietnam and Afghanistan. The collection has on display the first and last Imperial VCs (Major General Sr Neville Reginald Howse and Warrant Officer Class 2 Keith Payne) and all four of the VCs awarded under the Australian award system. There is an individual display for the holder of each Cross shown there, with a photograph, an excerpt from the citation that accompanied the award, and usually additional medals awarded to that recipient. The relatives of Australian VC holders often donate or loan the Crosses to the memorial for safekeeping and greater public awareness of their honoured kin. Architecturally the centre of the Hall of Valour is positioned directly under the Tomb of the Unknown Australian Soldier. On 24 July 2006,

Kerry Stokes Kerry Matthew Stokes (born John Patrick Alford on 13 September 1940) is an Australian businessman. He holds business interests in a diverse range of industries including electronic and print media, property, mining, and construction equipment. ...

purchased the 60th VC medal at auction for a world-record price of A$1,000,000 and asked that it be displayed in the Victoria Cross Gallery. This medal was awarded to Captain Alfred Shout for hand-to-hand combat at the Lone Pine trenches in Gallipoli, Turkey. The Victoria Cross Gallery now has all nine VCs awarded to Australians at Gallipoli: Alexander Burton, William Dunstan, John Hamilton,

Albert Jacka Albert Jacka, (10 January 1893 – 17 January 1932) was an Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest decoration for gallantry "in the face of the enemy" that can be awarded to members of the British and Commonwealth armed forces. ...

Leonard Keysor Leonard Maurice Keysor, VC (also known as "Keyzor" or "Kyezor") (3 November 1885 – 12 October 1951) was a British-born Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry "in the face of the enemy" that can be awarded t ...

Alfred Shout Alfred John Shout, VC, MC (8 August 1882 – 11 August 1915) was a New Zealand-born soldier and an Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross (VC), the highest decoration for gallantry "in the face of the enemy" awarded to members of th ...

, William Symons,

Hugo Throssell Hugo Vivian Hope Throssell, VC (26 October 1884 – 19 November 1933) was an Australian soldier in the First World War who was the first Western Australian and only Australian light horseman to receive the Victoria Cross (VC), the highest awar ...

and Frederick Tubb. The lower level contains the Afghanistan: Australia's Story Gallery which currently is the sole audio-visual Gallery in the memorial, a research area, a gallery for Colonial and Pre-Federation Conflicts including the War in Sudan, the Boxer Rebellion and the Boer War, and the Conflicts: Post 1945 to Today, Cold War Gallery comprising exhibits for the Korean War, the conflicts in Malaya and Indonesia and the Vietnam War. This section also encompasses the Peacekeeping Gallery and exhibits dedicated to both Gulf Wars. It also has an area for temporary special exhibitions. The Large Technology Gallery ANZAC Hall was a large annexe to the upper level of the memorial, used for the display of large military hardware. Notable displays on the west side include a complete and particularly historic Lancaster bomber known as

G for George G for George is an Avro Lancaster Mk. I bomber, squadron code AR-G and serial number ''W4783'', operated by No. 460 Squadron RAAF during World War II. It is now preserved at the Australian War Memorial (AWM), Canberra, Australia. History G-Ge ...

, The wrecks of M-14 and M-21 reconstructed to form a Japanese ''Ko-hyoteki'' class midget submarine as both were sunk during the raid on Sydney Harbour in 1942, rare German aircraft such as the

Me 262 The Messerschmitt Me 262, nicknamed ''Schwalbe'' (German: "Swallow") in fighter versions, or ''Sturmvogel'' (German: "Storm Bird") in fighter-bomber versions, is a fighter aircraft and fighter-bomber that was designed and produced by the German ...

and

Me 163 The Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet is a rocket-powered interceptor aircraft primarily designed and produced by the German aircraft manufacturer Messerschmitt. It is the only operational rocket-powered fighter aircraft in history as well as ...

, One of the main guns each from

HMAS Sydney Five ships of the Royal Australian Navy have been named HMAS ''Sydney'', after Sydney, the capital city of New South Wales. *, a Town-class light cruiser launched in 1912, decommissioned in 1928, and broken up for scrap *, a ''Leander''-clas ...

and

SMS Emden SMS ''Emden'' ("His Majesty's Ship ''Emden''") was the second and final member of the of light cruisers built for the Imperial German Navy (''Kaiserliche Marine''). Named for the town of Emden, she was laid down at the ''Kaiserliche Werft'' ...

, The east side includes a World War I aircraft exhibition, notably displaying a Royal Aircraft Factory SE5a, Pfalz D.XII and Albatros D.Va, among others These aircraft are accompanied by a movie directed by

Peter Jackson Sir Peter Robert Jackson (born 31 October 1961) is a New Zealand film director, screenwriter and producer. He is best known as the director, writer and producer of the ''Lord of the Rings'' trilogy (2001–2003) and the ''Hobbit'' trilogy ( ...

titled "Over the Front" highlighting the formation of the

Australian Flying Corps The Australian Flying Corps (AFC) was the branch of the Australian Army responsible for operating aircraft during World War I, and the forerunner of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). The AFC was established in 1912, though it was not until ...

. Each of the large permanent exhibits are accompanied by an audio-visual experience. they are from West to East. * Strike by Night: Accompanying G for George (Played on the hour) - This video has been moved to Aircraft Hall * Sydney Under Attack: Accompanying the reconstructed Japanese Midget Submarine (Played on Even half hours i.e. 1030, 1230, 230, 430) * Our First Naval Victory: Accompanying the Guns from HMAS ''Sydney'' and SMS ''Emden'' (Played on Odd hours opposite Sydney Under Attack) * Over The Front: a Separate Video played alongside the WW1 Aircraft Collection (Played quarter past the hour) ANZAC Hall was closed to the public in September 2021, and demolished during the COVID-19 pandemic lock downs of Canberra. The building is large and the collections are extensive; a full day will suffice for only the most cursory examination of its contents, the conservative estimate is a minimum of three days is required to see every single item on display gallery item to gain any recollection. A gift shop and one coffee shop are on site, on the east side of the main building, named "Poppy's Cafe".

Sculpture garden

The sculpture garden on the west lawn of the memorial contains a variety of outdoor monuments. The footpath through the garden is embedded with bronze plaques commemorating various branches of service, specific units and historical events. There is also a number of sculptures, including a gigantic figure of a World War II-era Australian soldier that was originally located in the Hall of Memory, before the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was placed there. There is a gun turret and Bridge from HMAS ''Brisbane'', a gun barrel from the

heavy cruiser The heavy cruiser was a type of cruiser, a naval warship designed for long range and high speed, armed generally with naval guns of roughly 203 mm (8 inches) in caliber, whose design parameters were dictated by the Washington Naval Tr ...

HMAS ''Australia'' and the barrel from the

Amiens Gun The Amiens Gun is a German railway gun (originally mounted in the battleship ) that was captured by the Australian Imperial Force during World War I and returned to Australia as a war trophy. The 28 cm SK L/40 "Bruno" (SK – ''Schnelladekano ...

– a huge railroad gun captured from the Germans during World War I. At the western side of the memorial between the Administrative Building and the Main Building there is a Centurion Tank and a Thales Bushmaster. This area is used for special displays during annual Memorial Open Days, and summertime band concerts are held on the nearby lawn.

Storage facility

Only 5 percent of the Memorial's collection is displayed at any time, with the remainder being stored at the

Treloar Resource Centre The Treloar Resource Centre, also known as the Treloar Centre and Treloar Technology Centre, is the Australian War Memorial's (AWM's) storage and conservation facility. It is located in the industrial suburb of Mitchell, Australian Capital Terri ...

in the industrial suburb of

Mitchell Mitchell may refer to: People *Mitchell (surname) *Mitchell (given name) Places Australia * Mitchell, Australian Capital Territory, a light-industrial estate * Mitchell, New South Wales, a suburb of Bathurst * Mitchell, Northern Territo ...

. The facility also includes workshops that are used for restoration tasks. The Treloar Technology Centre is occasionally opened to the public for "Big Things in Store" open days.

Publications

The memorial played a key role in sponsoring the

official histories An official is someone who holds an office (function or mandate, regardless whether it carries an actual working space with it) in an organization or government and participates in the exercise of authority, (either their own or that of their ...

that were produced for World War I, World War II, Korea and Vietnam. In addition, the memorial currently produces a quarterly magazine called ''Wartime''. Featuring images from the memorial's collection and articles written by established historians, according to the AWM, the magazine is "...devoted to the Australian experience of war; military history; and the effects of war on society". The magazine's first issue was published in November 1997. The memorial also previously published a journal titled ''The Journal of the Australian War Memorial'' (). In October 2003, after publishing 39 issues, the journal went into hiatus, although a fortieth and final issue was published in January 2007.

Music

The memorial's first musical artist-in-residence was

Christopher Latham Christopher Jack Latham (born 6 February 1994) is an English cyclist from Bolton, who most recently rode for UCI Continental team . In 2015 he won the bronze medal in the elimination race at the 2015 UEC European Track Championships in Grenchen, ...

, who in 2015 began the ''

Flowers of War ''The Flowers of War'' () is a 2011 Chinese-Hong Kong historical drama war film directed by Zhang Yimou, starring Christian Bale, Ni Ni, Zhang Xinyi, Tong Dawei, Atsuro Watabe, Shigeo Kobayashi and Cao Kefan. The film is based on a novella by G ...

'' series to commemorate First World War musicians and artists. His ''Gallipoli Symphony'' premiered in 2015 and ''Diggers' Requiem'' in 2018. The memorial commissioned Latham's ''Vietnam Requiem'', which was first performed in June 2021, and works are planned to commemorate the Korean War (2023), the Holocaust (2024), and World War II (2025).

References

Attribution

;Building

Bibliography

;Building * * * * * * *

External links

*
Australian War Memorial at Google Cultural Institute
{{Authority control Art Deco architecture in the Australian Capital Territory Buildings and structures completed in 1941 Gallipoli campaign museum exhibits Military memorials in Canberra National museums of Australia Australian National Heritage List Australian Capital Territory places listed on the defunct Register of the National Estate Commonwealth Heritage List places in the Australian Capital Territory World War I memorials in Australia Tourist attractions in Canberra 1941 establishments in Australia