About the Australian War Memorial

Here is their spirit, in the heart of the land they loved; and here we guard the record which they themselves made.

Charles Bean, 1948

Welcome
Memorial Director Steve Gower outlines the scope of the web site and some of its more interesting features.
Director's favourites
The Director invites you to view some of his personal favourites from Memorial's extensive National Collection.
Join in
Join the Memorial's online communities on Facebook, Youtube and Flickr and extend your experience with videos, photographs and events. Keep up-to-date on activities within the Memorial, upcoming events, ceremonies and exhibition launches.

Origins of the Memorial
Charles Bean first began thinking about commemorating the sacrifice of Australians in war in 1915 on Gallipoli. The idea of a national museum took hold later, while Bean was visiting Pozières, France, where the Australian divisions suffered 23,000 casualties in less than seven weeks of fighting in 1916. Bean's idea was to set aside a place in Australia where families and friends could grieve for those buried in places far away and difficult to visit – a place that would also contribute to the understanding of war itself. Both commemoration and furthering our understanding of war inspire our work at the Memorial today.
Collections
During the First World War Australian troops were officially encouraged to collect relics of the battles in which they had fought. The tradition of acquisition and preservation continues today, enhancing the written record of war, and has produced one of the finest military artefact, document, and media collections in the world. This web site makes some of those collections accessible online to everyone for the first time.
Conservation
The Memorial is concerned with conserving our cultural heritage. Find out how trained Memorial staff carry out conservation on works of art, textiles, paper, photographs, small objects, and large technology objects. Also discover what you can do to help care for your own precious items.
Overview
The Memorial is established as a corporation by the Australian War Memorial Act 1980. Read about its functions and powers under the Act.
Council
The current members of Council, who are responsible for the conduct and control of Memorial affairs. Council meets at the Memorial four times a year.
Statement of Expectations

The Minister for Veterans' Affairs' expectations of the Memorial.

Statement of Intent

Council's response to the Minister for Veterans' Affairs' expectations.

Organisation chart
The organisational structure of the Memorial and its senior staff.

Corporate documents
Corporate documents include the Annual Report, Corporate Plan, Business Plan, Environmental Policy, Workplace Diversity Program, and Teamwork Agreement.

Tender documents
Information about any Memorial tenders can be found on AusTender the Australian Government Tender System.
Employment
The employment section lists all jobs currently available at the Memorial, along with information about preparing and lodging an employment application.
Volunteers
Volunteers of all ages work at the Memorial. Learn about what they do and how you can get involved.

Service Charter
The Memorial's Service Charter details the standards of service you can expect of the Memorial. We welcome enquiries and suggestions as a way of helping to improve our services. Use the online form to make a comment.
Contacts
Addresses and online forms for contacting Memorial staff or sections.