The Australian War Memorial

Please click on the above pictures to navigate through the site.

The Australian War Memorial is a way of commemorating the sacrifices of the Australians who have died in war. We want to help Australians remember, interpret and understand the impact of war on Australian society through many activities that are suitable for both children and adults. As well as the general public, we cater for school excursions and also have many commemorative events. This memorial is a combination of a shrine, world-class museum and an extensive archive.

We consider this memorial as a post-war heritage, and therefore very significant to the Australian culture. As it opened in 1941, the Australian War Memorial has been part of Australian history for a while and is considered “one of the nation’s greatest”. The memorial reflects on all the wars that Australia has contributed, including the two World Wars, the Korean War and the Gulf War. We would never want to forget those brave soldiers who have sacrificed themselves for their country, and so we pay tribute to the 100,000 Australians through ANZAC Day and Remembrance Day commemorations, wreath laying ceremonies and the ANZAC Parade. We take pride in this memorial, as it is an important part of educating Australia’s youth about Australia’s own history.

The Australian War Memorial, around since November 11, 1941, first as a memorial museum. Now, it is still a memorial museum but has many more commemorative events that cater for all age groups. As stated before, schoolchildren can participate in some ceremonies, such as wreathlaying at the Tomb of the Unknown Australian Soldier. They will also have the chance of asking a guest veteran questions about military life and service.

We also have memorials on special days such as ANZAC Day, which begins with a dawn service, then with an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commemorative Ceremony, to remember the Indigenous Australians who served their country. Lastly, an afternoon service where visitors can place a poppy on the Tomb of the Unknown Australian Soldier is held on the parade ground. Remembrance Day is another day of commemoration, where many speeches are made also on the parade ground.

There is always the Roll of Honour at ‘the heart of the Memorial’, consisting of many panels of 102,000 dead Australian soldiers’ names. The Commemorative Roll is similar, recording the names of Australians who died while being members of allied forces, the navy, and other war organisations. For those who have died while on non-warlike services, the Remembrance Book lists their names.

We have many exhibitions on display at the Australian War Memorial, and we also have some travelling exhibitions. There are also Battlefield Tours, where a guide will take you through Gallipoli and/or the Western Front.