Blog category - Exhibitions

Albatros Fabric Research

11 April 2008 by Andrew Pearce. 6 Comments
Aircraft 1914 - 1918,Collection,Conservation, Aircraft Conservation

The Memorial has been able to gain access to substantial amounts of the original fabric, which was removed from the Albatros during the 1960′s restoration with the exception of the rudder and the ailerons. Significant analysis of this material has been carried out in order to determine the correct details for fabric colours, panel widths and orientations, seam widths, rib stitching and the dimensions of rib tapes. read on

Curator-led tours of the exhibition

04 April 2008 by Mal Booth. No comments
Exhibitions,Lawrence of Arabia and the Light Horse, AUDIO TOUR OF THE EXHIBITION, Our exhibition

These tours are advertised elsewhere on our website, but just in case you’ve not seen them, either Robyn or myself are running tours of the exhibition at 10.45 am on the following dates:

14, 21, 24 and 27 February

5, 10, 12, 19 and 26 March

2, 9, 16, 23, 24* and 30 April

7, 14, 21, and 24 May

They usually last around an hour, unless we get carried away. Of course you can always download the audio tour and bring it with you on an MP3 player.

* Please note: the tour scheduled for 24 April has now been delayed by 30 mins and will now commence at 11.15 am. Mal

Albatros Fuselage: Cleaning and Repair

03 April 2008 by Andrew Pearce. No comments
Aircraft 1914 - 1918,Collection,Conservation, Aircraft Conservation

Work is underway to clean and repair the fuselage of the Albatros.

During the course of the last nine decades, a significant amount of grease, dust and general grime has built up inside the fuselage of the Albatros, particularly in the engine bay. read on

Conservation of the Albatros D.Va

03 April 2008 by Andrew Pearce. 2 Comments
Aircraft 1914 - 1918,Collection,Conservation, Aircraft Conservation

The Large Technology Conservation Section are currently working on five aircraft for the upcoming First World War exhibition “Over The Front” due to open in November 2008.

The Albatros D.Va was last restored in the mid 1960s and there are a number of areas which need attention.

read on

Second Lieutenant F. T. D. Gulley, No. 6 (Training) Squadron, AFC

17 March 2008 by Amanda Rebbeck. 2 Comments
Aircraft 1914 - 1918,Collection,Personal Stories, First World War, Heraldry, Private Records, Training

Crashes and fires were everyday hazards for the First World War flier. Second Lieutenant Frederick Gulley suffered both when trying to land his aircraft in England on 17 October 1918. Gulley was on a cross country flight and struck a post whilst attempting to land in a field close to Tidworth Barracks, Wiltshire. In the resulting fire Gulley’s clothes, harness, face and hands were burnt. He was taken to Tidworth Hospital with superficial burns to his face, neck and both hands, including all fingers. 

read on

Author Talk:

17 March 2008 by Robyn Van-Dyk. No comments
Exhibitions,Lawrence of Arabia and the Light Horse

Local historian and biographer Jennifer Horsfield will talk about Rania MacPhillamy, who served as a member of the Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) in Egypt and Palestine during the First World War. MacPhillamy helped Alice Chisholm to set up canteens in Port Said, Kantara, Jerusalem, and Rafa, and was awarded an OBE for her work. She was remembered with great affection and admiration by the men of the Australian Light Horse.

Sunday, March 23, 2008 at 2:00 pm
For information and bookings, phone (02) 6243 4473
Location: Research Centre

You can read an article by Jenny Horsfield about this extraordinary woman and her work in the Desert Campaign on this blog: Here

Animals in war

12 March 2008 by Andrew Gray. 10 Comments
Exhibitions,News, Animals in war

An exhibition on animals in war will open at the Memorial in February 2009. A is for Animals will explore a range of themes relating to animals during times of war. The exhibition will explore stories of the Light Horse; the donkeys, camels, horses and other creatures used to transport soldiers and equipment; the pigeons used to carry messages; the dogs who have located injured soldiers and tracked the enemy, and the many and varied animals adopted as mascots and pets. Additionally the exhibition will consider the unwelcome animals in war, such as insects, rats, wild elephants and jungle dwellers, which can make life difficult or even dangerous. read on

New publication on the Light Horse

07 March 2008 by Mal Booth. 1 Comment
Exhibitions,Lawrence of Arabia and the Light Horse, The Light Horse

Ian Jones’ revised edition of “A Thousand Miles of Battles” is now available from our shop (here). It was first published in 1987, but last year a new revised edition was released by ANZAC Day Commemoration Committee (Queensland) Inc.

Ian wrote and co-produced the film The Lighthorsemen and there is an excellent action shot included in the book (p.115) from the film’s scene covering the charge at Beersheba. The book also uses many of the same images we have highlighted in our exhibition and many others I’d like to have used if we had more space. These include AWM B00277 and AWM P03631.087 (see below).

If you want a well produced and written illustrated contemporary history of the Light Horse then it is currently very hard to go past this book.

‘Naked Birds’ Land at Memorial

28 February 2008 by Leigh Harris. 3 Comments
Aircraft 1914 - 1918,News, Aircraft Conservation

First World War ‘war birds’ will have their covers restored ready for display at the Australian War Memorial tomorrow.

A special team of French vintage aircraft experts will tomorrow make the ‘last stitch’ of their conservation work on rare First World War aircraft, or ’war birds’ as the aircraft are affectionately known. The war birds are progressively being ‘clothed’ as part of the restoration process, in preparation for the upcoming exhibition, Over the Front.

The most complex work is fitting new camouflage fabric to the German Albatros and Pfalz war birds, which are both over 90 years old. The specialist French conservators are teaching Australian War Memorial staff the use of original techniques and materials to recreate the original design faithfully over the coming months.

Opening at the Memorial in late 2008, Over the front will include five original First World War aircraft:

• Three Australian aircraft- Se5a; Avro 504K trainer and Airco DH9.
• Two rare German fighter planes – an Albatros and a Pfalz

read on

The Bartlett brothers from the 10th Light Horse

22 February 2008 by Mal Booth. 2 Comments
Exhibitions,Lawrence of Arabia and the Light Horse, Lawrence of Arabia and the Light Horse, Less than six degrees of separation, The Light Horse

I received an email today from Charles Kenny of Essex in the UK. He has given me permission to post it here and I’ve put in some relevant links where I could.

Reading about your exhibition, I thought you might be interested in a little known connection.

The Bartlett brothers, Stephen and Alfred S., both pearlers of Broome (W.A.), enlisted together in the 10th Light Horse Regiment in May 1915, and embarked from Freemantle on HMAT Anchises in September. They saw plenty of action. Alfred was recommended for a bravery award at Rafa in January 1917 but sadly died of wounds that April and is buried in Gaza. Steve soldiered on in the great ride to Damascus, and then to patrolling the Delta. After the war he settled in England and became an author, writing under the name of Gurney Slade. read on