Media release
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Memorial marks Sir Russell Drysdale centenary
The Australian War Memorial is paying tribute to one of Australia’s leading modernist painters, Sir Russell Drysdale, in a small exhibition,Russell Drysdale at war, which will open on 7 February 2012, the centenary of his birth.
Drysdale is best known for his original interpretations of Australia’s outback landscape and its people of the late twentieth century, a period of great social change. During the Second World War he also produced a significant collection of works exploring the effectsof war and the loneliness and displacement felt by many Australians based in rural communities.
“Drysdale’s imagery from this period presents a bleak commentary on the wartime experience of Australia’s small-town communities,” said Sally Cunningham, Assistant Curator of Art, Australian War Memorial. “These works embody a sense of foreboding unseen in his other work and reveal feelings of isolation and uncertainty experienced by Australians moving around the home front.”
At the outbreak of the Second World War, Drysdale was keen to become involved in the war effort. He attempted to enlist a number of times, but was rejected because of his poor eyesight. In 1942 he moved to Albury, New South Wales. Coincidentally, the move led to the beginning of an influential friendship with fellow artist Donald Friend.
Living in Albury, Drysdale was exposed to a fresh source of subject matter. The town was an important stopover for Australian servicemen during the period and living there he was surrounded by the several military depots, hospitals, and training facilities. He observed firsthand the activities of Australian servicemen and began to document their experiences.
“This small exhibition is a unique opportunity for people to view a collection of unseen works by Drysdale that reveal the grim face of a nation at war,” said Cunningham.
One of the works on display will be the iconic painting Solider, which captures the loneliness and uncertainly of a tired soldier waiting at Albury Station. Russell Drysdale at warfeatures more than 15 works, including a diverse range of works on paper produced in Albury during 1942. It will be on display at the Memorial until early 2013.
Russell Drysdale at war
Opening 7 February 2012
Second World War Galleries, Australian War Memorial
10 am – 5 pm
Free entry
CONTACT DETAILS
Tom Vasey (02) 6243 4575 0409 600 038 media@awm.gov.au
Thu 2 Feb 2012 -
Free Summertime Family Activities at the Australian War Memorial
Free Summertime Family Activities at the Australian War Memorial
Are you visiting Canberra these holidays and looking for something to do? Why not visit the Australian War Memorial?
This summer holidays the War Memorial has a range of activities for the whole family.
Activities Include:
Discovery Zone
Open dailyduring school holidays.
The Discovery Zone is a “hands on” learning space. It is an engaging and educational space for the whole family with things to do, touch, and hear. Look for clues and photographs to discover stories of animals during wartime.
Stories for “under 5s”
Fridays at 10.30 am
Hear stories of brave animals, extraordinary people, and faraway places. Don’t miss this very special storytime session, where puppets, uniforms, and educational toys bring real stories to life.
For children under 5, but older children are also welcome.
“Hands on History”
Open Dailyduring school holidays at 11 am and 2 pm
What jobs do servicemen and women do? What do they wear? What do they eat? Our exciting “Hands on History” program answers these and many more questions. You will have the opportunity to try on uniforms, handle real items, and hear the incredible wartime stories of Australian men and women.
Suitable for kids of all ages and their families.
Drop-in craft
12 January 2012
19 January 2012
2 February 2012
27 January 2012
11.30 am – 12.30 pm and 2.30 pm– 3.30 pm
Drop in and make your own animal puppet, nurse’s hat, or special flower of remembrance to take home.
For children aged 5 and over.
Women in warperformances
Friday to Sunday, 2–4 December 2011
Saturday and Sunday, 10–11, 17–18 December 2011
Thursday to Sunday, 5–8, 12–15, 19–22 January 2012
11.40 am, 12.40 pm and 1.40 pm
See local actor Leith Arundel in two moving performances, Last letters and Radio silence, which present the experiences of women in wartime.
Gallery talks
Every Monday, Thursday and Friday at 11:30 am
19 December 2011 – 3 February 2012 (except public holidays)
Interested in learning more about the Memorial’s exhibits? Join us to learn the stories behind some of the exhibits on display in the Memorial’s galleries.
Also on display these summer holidays is the new Nurses: from Zululand to Afghanistan exhibition. This exhibition explores the involvement of nurses from the first known Australian in the Zulu War of 1879, right up to the experiences of the male and female nurses serving in recent conflicts and peace keeping operations.
CONTACT DETAILS
Tom Vasey
Phone: 0409 600 038
Email: tom.vasey@awm.gov.au
Marylou Pooley
Phone: 0412 646 298
Email: Marylou@awm.gov.au
Mon 19 Dec 2011 -
Ben Quilty Official War Artist - Media Release
Officials war artist Ben Quilty
Australian War Memorial’s official war artist and Archibald prize winner, Ben Quilty, has recently returned from a tour of Afghanistan. Inspired by his tour, Quilty has already started working in his studio.
“As the latest official war artist for the Memorial, Quilty joins a long line of distinguished artists, beginning with those such as George Lambert and Arthur Streeton who were commissioned during the First World War” said Nola Anderson, Assistant Director, Branch Head National Collection.
“He is the fourth artist the Memorial has sent to Afghanistan to record Australia’s current deployments” Anderson added.
From 11 October until 3 November 2011, Quilty was attached to the Australian Defence Force (ADF) observing their activities in Kabul, Kandahar and Tarin Kowt. His task was to record and interpret the experiences of Australian service personnel who are deployed as part of Operation Slipper.
As part of the commission, Quilty’s work will, over the next six months, produce a number of works for the Memorial’s National Collection.
“As a young teenager I was constantly paranoid about being conscripted. I was honoured and so anxious when asked to be the official Australian war artist earlier this year” said Quilty. “The trip I’ve just completed has been life changing. Afghanistan is hauntingly beautiful. The people who took care of me there are an inspiration.”
Quilty’s works will explore the highly challenging roles faced by service personnel and their day to day experiences in the field. The Afghanistan landscape will also feature prominently through his works.
Quilty brings great experience to the commission, and employs a wide range of genre including portraits, figurative subjects, still life and landscapes. His work frequently explores the machines and rituals related to contemporary street cultures. Quilty is a major Australian artist who creates bold large-scale pictures. He uses vibrant colours and broad brush strokes that build thick layers of oil paint.
He is represented throughout Australian national and state galleries and frequently exhibits in major national group and solo exhibitions including a major retrospective in 2009, at the University of Queensland Art Museum. He won the Archibald prize this year with a portrait of Margaret Olley.
CONTACT DETAILS
Tom Vasey (02) 6243 4575 0409 600 038 media@awm.gov.au
Wed 14 Dec 2011 -
ANZACs on the Western Front- Media Release
ANZACs on the Western Front by Dr Peter Pedersen
The Western Front was the decisive theatre of the First World War. On the Western Front Australia and New Zealand soldiers made their greatest contribution to victory, but at a terrible cost and often in unspeakable conditions. ANZACs on the Western Front is the definitive guide to the battlefields.
“The Western Front has always stood in Gallipoli’s shadow,” said Dr Peter Pedersen, the book’s author. “My hope for the book is to encourage people to experience and explore this import part of ANZAC history.”
The inclusion of personal accounts, combined with Dr Pedersen’s expert knowledge, makes ANZACs on the Western Front a comprehensive guide. The book is suitable for those with a keen interest in Australia’s and New Zealand’s role on the Western Front, as well as for someone who is following the footsteps of a forebear for the first time.
ANZACs on the Western Front guides readers chronologically through the major battles in which Australians and New Zealanders fought on the Western Front in 1916-1918. The battlefields are introduced through highly informative descriptions and illustrated by fascinating images from the Memorial's archives as well as spectacular panoramic photos and detailed tour maps.
Dr Peter Pedersen is the Head of the Research Centre at the Australian War Memorial and one of Australia’s leading military historians. He has written eight books about the First World War and contributed to many others, and has led numerous tours to the Western Front.
ANZACs on the Western Fronthas been rapidly climbing the bestseller charts for military history titles. It is available in bookstores and from the Australian War Memorial.
Paperback, fully illustrated, maps, 600 pages.
Published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.
AU $49.95 / NZ$55.00
CONTACT DETAILS
Tom Vasey (02) 6243 4575 0409 600 038 media@awm.gov.au
Wed 14 Dec 2011 -
Nurses exhibition explores the other faces of war
Nurses exhibition explores the other faces of war
The Australian War Memorial’s latest exhibition, Nurses: from Zululand to Afghanistan, explores the personal stories of Australian military nurses, from the first known Australian nurse in the Zulu War of 1879 right up to the experiences of nurses serving in recent conflicts and peacekeeping operations.
“For more than 100 years nurses have been going to war, providing the highest level of care and assistances that our men and women depend on”, said Ms Nola Anderson, Acting Director. “This exhibition is an important opportunity to commemorate the significant contribution of Australian military nurses.”
Nurses: from Zululand to Afghanistandraws on the Memorial’s rich collection to tell the story of Australian military nursing. The iconic veil and cape worn by early nurses together with the technologically advanced equipment used today tells of the changing role and place of nurses in Australian military operations. Photographs, diaries and personal objects, such as a pencil used by Sister Betty Jeffrey to record her life in a prisoner-of-war camp, reveal a much more personal story.
“One of the most profound aspects of the exhibition are the stories encapsulated in the diaries kept by many nurses”, said Ms Robyn Siers, the exhibition’s curator. “They speak of hardship and adversity, but they also speak of great courage and devotion to the role that nurses play in war. Qualities that continue in our nurses serving today.”
Nurses have never been far from the front line, but often far from home, treating the sick and wounded in the air, and on land and sea. During the First World War more than 3,000 Australian civilian nurses volunteered for active service, a commitment that continued through the Second World War with some 5,000 Australian nurses.
Today, both men and women serve as Australian military nurses, continuing to work in remote and dangerous places, often under difficult conditions. As well as providing essential medical treatment to Australians wounded in war, nurses are also deployed in peacekeeping and humanitarian operations, providing care to local military personnel and civilians in countries ravaged by war or natural disasters.
Nurses: from Zululand to Afghanistan
2 December 2011 – 17 October 2012
Australian War Memorial
10 am – 5 pm
Free entry
http://www.awm.gov.au/exhibitions/nurses/
CONTACT DETAILS
Tom Vasey (02) 6243 4575 0409 600 038 media@awm.gov.au
Mon 28 Nov 2011 -
Charles Bean’s Vision- 70 Years On
This month the Australian War Memorial is commemorating its 70th anniversary. To commemorate this milestone the Memorial has a program of activities scheduled from 5-11 November:
Highlights of this program include:
- A presentation from Ashley Ekins, Head of the Military History Section, on the History of the Memorial and Charles Bean’s vision.
- A special talk from Peter Burness, historian of the Australian War Memorial, who will share the secrets of the Memorial.
- The Oriana Chorale, one of Canberra’s leading choirs, will perform We are Here. This piece was written by Anthony Briggs for the entombment of the Unknown Australian Soldier.
For detailed information on the program of activities please visit:
http://www.awm.gov.au/events/70th-anniversary/
http://www.awm.gov.au/commemoration/remembrance/
A beautiful souvenir publication on the Hall of Memory has been released to coincide with this special anniversary. The booklet features the dome, the mosaics, stained-glass windows, Tomb of the Unknown Australian Soldier, and Four pillars sculpture, along with details of the design and construction of the Hall. A full transcript of the eulogy for the Unknown Australian Soldier, delivered by the Prime Minister, The Hon. P. J. Keating MP, on 11 November 1993 is also included.
For more information on this publication please visit:
https://www.awm.gov.au/shop/item/9781921353109/
If you would like an interview please contact:
Marylou Pooley
Phone: 0412 646 298
Email: Media@awm.gov.au
Wed 2 Nov 2011Attachment Size 
70th Anniversary.pdf144.41 KB -
Big Things In Store Cancelled
WAR MEMORIAL CANCELS BIG THINGS IN STORE OPEN DAY
THIS SUNDAY, 18 September 2011
Due to the chemical fire on 16 September at Mitchell, the Memorial has made a decision not to go ahead with the planned Big Things in Store Open Day on Sunday 18 September.
Because the Memorial is unable to access its buildings at this stage, it has been decided to cancel the event.
The Director of the Memorial Steve Gower apologises for any inconvenience and disappointment this decision may cause. ‘In the past it has been a wonderful event experience by up to 5,000 people. This year in particular, visitors would have had the chance to view the newly acquire Sabre jet before its complete restoration as a RAAF Aicraft'.
At this stage, given the unknowns, a decision on the possible rescheduling of the event is yet to be made.
For those disappointed visitors the Memorial invites you to come to our main building in Campbell this Sunday.
Contact:
Marylou Pooley, Head CAM
0412 646 298
Fri 16 Sep 2011
Media alert
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Reminder for Remembrance Day Friday 11 November
The Australian War Memorial will host the national Remembrance Day Ceremony from 10.15am on Friday, 11 November.
Commencing at 10.15am, the national Remembrance Day ceremony includes a minute’s silence at 11am to remember the moment 93 years ago when the guns of the Western Front fell silent after more than four years of fighting. The ceremony is a special opportunity to reflect on the sacrifice of Australian servicemen and women on the anniversary of the end of the First World War.
Media should arrive by 10am for pre-set positions on the Parade Ground, adjacent to the Stone of Remembrance. Media are requested to be respectful of the ceremony, and remain still during the Last Post, Minute’s Silence and Rouse.
Pre-recorded and live interviews are available with Memorial historians and curators in the lead up to the ceremony. Historic photographs are also available for Remembrance Day features. To organise interviews or photographs please email media@awm.gov.au by Wednesday COB.
Parking Permits Now Available
Media are eligible for reserved parking. Parking permits will be strictly limited and will be issued on a first-come basis. Carpooling is encouraged. Only media with parking permits will be permitted through road closures. Please email media@awm.gov.au.
OB vans are welcome to the Remembrance Day ceremony with prior arrangement.
A sound split will be available as microphones are not allowed on the lectern.Road closures
Road closures will apply from 9.30am– 12.30 pm and limited parking is available. Media assistance in advising the local public is appreciated.
CONTACT DETAILS
Tom Vasey (02) 6243 4575, 0409 600 038, media@awm.gov.au
Marylou Pooley (02) 6243 4383, 0412 646 298
Wed 9 Nov 2011Attachment Size Reminder for Remembrance Day.pdf128.05 KB -
Photo Opportunity: Ducklings at the Memorial
The resident mother duck of the Memorial has returned to the Pool of Reflection in the Memorial’s Commemorative Area with 10 ducklings. The mother duck is a regular at the Memorial, having nurtured seven groups of ducklings in the past five years. As the Memorial spokeswoman Marylou Pooley states, "It's lovely to see new life in a commemorative area that represents so much sadness.”
There is a short opportunity to see the ducklings learning to swim in the Pool of Reflection, as they usually migrate to Lake Burley Griffin once the ducklings are a few days old.
If you would like to photograph or film the ducklings at the War Memorial please contact:
Marylou Pooley
Phone: 0412 646 298
Email: Media@awm.gov.au
Wed 2 Nov 2011Attachment Size PHOTO OPPORTUNITY for ducklings.pdf97.2 KB -
No Big Things in Store this year
Information: Big Things in Store
As the Australia War Memorial’s calendar between now and December is very demanding, a decision has been made, not to reschedule Big Things in Store for this year.
This week all members of staff are back at work at the Memorial’sTreloar Technology Centre located in Mitchell following the chemical fire on the 16 September 2011.
Treloar Technology Centre comprising of several buildings, was going to be the site for this year’s “Big Things in Store” open day until the Mitchell fire occurred. Due to the exclusion zone in Mitchell regrettably “Big Things in Store” had to be cancelled which was beyond our control. The safety of staff and visitors was critical in this decision.
The Director of the Memorial Steve Gower apologises for any disappointment this decision may cause. ‘In the past it has been a wonderful event experienced by up to 5,000 people. This year in particular, visitors would have had the chance to view the newly acquire Sabre jet before its complete restoration as a RAAF Aircraft’. Staff at the Memorial have begun work and are looking forward to next year’s Big Things in Store.
CONTACT DETAILS: Marylou Pooley (Head of Communications)
Phone: 02 6243 4575 or 0409 600 038
Email: Media@awm.gov.auWed 28 Sep 2011Attachment Size Big Things in Store Media Alert 28-09-2011.pdf128.62 KB
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