MEMORIAL NEWS ARCHIVE 2000

Open Day Open Night 2001

20/12/00 - From 2pm until 9pm on Saturday 3 February the Australian War Memorial and ANZAC Parade will come alive with a wide range of exciting activities for all the family reminding us of the impact war has had on the development of Australia. Highlights will include displays by re-enactment groups, a parade of military and historic vehicles, and a range of aerial displays including the RAAF Roulettes and a flight of New Zealand SkyHawks. End the day with a stunning open air evening concert featuring a number of performers from the Tour of Duty concert held in Dili, East Timor in 1999.

Find out exactly when events are happening by viewing a detailed program of events.

L to R: Domenic Staltari, Project Manager; Steve Gower, Director AWM; Adrian Clunies-Ross, Chairman AWM Council; David Evans, Chairman, National Capital Authority.

13/12/00 - Another milestone has been reached in the construction of the Memorial's ANZAC Hall with a topping out ceremony held on the site. Topping out is a tradition on building sites, and involves placing a small tree at the building's highest point once construction to that point has been completed. In keeping with the season, the Memorial and the contractor - John Hindmarsh ACT - chose a decorated Christmas tree.

ANZAC Hall will provide 3,000 square metres of floor space to allow display of the Memorial's large technology items. The centre piece will be the Japanese midget submarine that entered Sydney Harbour in 1942. Other relics include the guns from HMAS Sydney and the German raider Emden, and the nose section of the Lancaster bomber G for George. All of George will be displayed in several years when major conservation on it is completed.

ANZAC Hall is scheduled for official opening on 24 May 2001.

Memorial Named Australia's Top Tourist Attraction

1/12/00 - The Australian War Memorial has confirmed its status as the nation’s leading cultural institution, being named Australia’s best major tourist attraction at the annual Australian Tourism Awards ceremony in Canberra.

The Memorial was competing against finalists from every other state and territory, including Sydney’s BridgeClimb, the Phillip Island Nature Park and Dreamworld.

The Memorial’s Director, Steve Gower, said the award confirmed the AWM’s position as one of Australia’s leading cultural institutions. “The Memorial has always been a special national place, but a major renewal of the Memorial’s galleries started several years ago has underscored the relevance to all Australians. The first and principle part of the renewal program was completed recently with the official opening of Bradbury Aircraft Hall”.

Memorial representatives at the Awards: (L-R) Linda Ferguson, Marylou Pooley, Carol Cartwright, Steve Gower (Director), Helen Withnell (Assistant Director), and Gillian Freeman.
Photo courtesy of Canberra City News.

He said the renewal continued with ANZAC Hall due for official opening in May next year. “ANZAC Hall will house the Memorial’s collection of large technology items, including the Japanese midget submarine sunk in Sydney Harbour in May 1942, tanks, guns and aircraft. Our Lancaster bomber G for George will be displayed there once its restoration is completed”, he said. The major relics in ANZAC Hall will be displayed in dramatic “object theatre” using lighting, sound and images to convey stories.

The Director said the award was recognition for all Memorial staff for the tremendous creative and sustained work they had put in over recent years. “Without the outstanding effort and expertise of a very dedicated staff, this award would not have been possible”.

He said the award was not only recognition for the Memorial, but also for the National Capital. “This will be a major boost for Canberra’s tourism business. With the National Museum opening next year along with our ANZAC Hall, Canberra can look forward to a healthy increase in visitor numbers”.

The Australian War Memorial is one of Australia’s most visited cultural institutions. Nearly 900,000 visitors passed through the doors last financial year. With the opening of ANZAC Hall next May, the Memorial is expecting close to one million visitors during 2001. Of these, more than 100,000 will be school children.

Memorial Masterpieces for Federation

30/11/00 - The Australian War Memorial's iconic work of art, Menin Gate at Midnight, has left the Memorial for the first time since 1941 to become part of the National Gallery of Australia's Centenary of Federation exhibition Federation.

Memorial staff replacing Menin Gate at Midnight with Carillon.

Menin Gate at Midnight by Will Longstaff, is one of 20 of the best works from the Memorial's extensive art collection being loaned to the Gallery for Federation. Also included are Dobell's Billy Boy, Nora Heysen's Transport Driver, and works by Official Artists to East Timor, Wendy Sharpe and Rick Amor.

AWM Director, Steve Gower, says the Memorial is pleased to be making available Menin Gate at Midnight and some of its other treasures for inclusion in Federation. "Not only will these loans assist the National Gallery in showcasing Australian art since Federation, it will also highlight the outstanding quality of the Australian War Memorial's art collection".

"Except for occasional inclusion in some of the AWM's own travelling exhibitions, many of these works have been rarely seen outside the Memorial", he said.

New Zealand High Commissioner Simon Murdoch and Memorial Director Steve Gower viewing Carillon.

Because of the importance of Menin Gate at Midnight (it has been on continuous display since the Memorial opened in 1941), the work has been replaced during its time with Federation. Artist Will Longstaff painted a series of works with similar themes - others are in Canada and New Zealand. The New Zealand version - titled Carillon - has been brought to Canberra to replace Menin Gate at Midnight. Carillon - on loan from Archives New Zealand - is now housed in the same special alcove adjacent to the First World War Gallery.

New Zealand High Commissioner to Australia, Mr. Simon Murdoch was on hand for the change-over the two classic works.

Historic C-47 hits the road to new home

6/11/00 - The Memorial's historic C-47 (Dakota) aircraft has made its final journey - by road. The aircraft is best known for flying the body of wartime Prime Minister John Curtin from Canberra to Perth in 1945, but also had a distinguished service career during the Second World War, Korea and Malaya.

C-47 at the start of its journey to the Memorial.

After being retired by the RAAF, ownership was transferred to the Memorial, but the Air Force continued to fly the Dakota for display purposes. Finally, A65-71 was "grounded" in late 1999, and stored temporarily at the Fairbairn RAAF Base in Canberra.

Recently, it was transferred to the Memorial's Treloar Technology Centre in the Canberra suburb of Mitchell. The aircraft, with just its outer wings removed, was towed via Majura Road, the Federal Highway and Flemington Road in the early hours of a Sunday morning. War Memorial staff carried out the operation with a full Federal Police escort.

The six-hour operation went without a hitch, and the C-47 is now on display at the Treloar Technology Centre (open Sundays and Wednesdays).

Out In The Cold A Finalist

15/11/00 - The Memorial's online exhibition Out in the cold: Australia’s involvement in the Korean War is a finalist in the Community and/or Special Interest category of the Australian Financial Review Australian Internet Awards.

The Australian Internet Awards honour and celebrate the combination of expertise, experience, talent and innovation which set apart Australia's best web sites. For the past three years, an Australian War Memorial website has been nominated in the awards and made it to the finals each time. In 1998, the Memorial’s website was judged best Government Site. In 1999, it was runner-up in the same category.

The Awards ceremony will be held on Tuesday 28 November 2000 in Sydney. A live webcast of the ceremony will be available from the Awards website. Click on this icon for more information.

Forging the nation, federation - the first 20 years

17/10/00 - The Australian War Memorial's travelling exhibition Forging the nation celebrates Australia's Centenary of Federation. It is the largest and most ambitious travelling exhibition mounted by the Memorial. Forging the Nation is an object-based exhibition that opens on 26 October 2000 at the Memorial in Canberra, closing on 4 February 2001. It later moves to Melbourne before travelling throughout Australia.

Click here for more information about Forging the nation.

Cafe Name and Competition Results

28/9/00 - The name of the cafe to be situated in the new ANZAC Hall and the winner of the Name the Cafe competition have been announced. Click here for the results.

Out In The Cold A Semi-Finalist

13/9/00 - The Memorial's online exhibition Out In The Cold: Australia's involvement in the Korean War was today announced as a semi-finalist in the Community/Special Interest category of the Financial Review Australian Internet Awards 2000. The site, which commemorates the 50th anniversary of the start of the Korean War, was developed to complement the travelling exhibition and make it more accessible to the community at large. The interactive exhibition draws on the experiences of the Australian men and women who participated in what was the initial full-blown expression of the Cold War.

Olympic Torch visits Australian War Memorial

5/9/00 - To mark the visit of the Olympic Torch Relay, the Australian War Memorial held a ceremonial closing. The Federation Guard took part in the ceremony by mounting a Catafalque Party on the Tomb of the Unknown Australian Solider and playing the Last Post. The Weston Creek Community Band also took part in the ceremony by playing for the people gathered to watch the Torch.

Ron Metcalf (left) hands the Olympic Flame to David Kibbey (right)

After the playing of the Last Post Second World War Veteran Ron Metcalf carried the Olympic Torch into the Memorial and passed the Flame to Vietnam Veteran David Kibbey.

Over a thousand people gathered at the Memorial to watch the relay. After visiting the Australian War Memorial the Olympic Torch relay went to Parliament House.

Click here for more images of the Olympic Torch at the Memorial.

Air Power in the Pacific 1941-53

17/8/00 - Air Power in the Pacific 1941- 53 is the latest addition to the Australian War Memorial's world-class displays.

Visitors will be fascinated by the magnificent collection of restored aircraft including the Mosquito, Kittyhawk, Mustang, Zero, Wirraway Sea Fury and a MiG-15, all on exhibition for the first time. Housed in Bradbury Aircraft Hall, this unique and interactive display captures the spirit and the stories of those who flew, serviced and made the aircraft. By using modern display techniques and dramatic lighting, Air Power in the Pacific 1941 -53 reveals the extraordinary deeds and actions of Australians at war in the Pacific during the Second World War and Korea.

Mosquito aircraft in Bradbury Aircraft Hall

Air Power in the Pacific 1941-53 is now open in Bradbury Aircraft Hall.

Bluey & Curley: Portraits from an Era 1939-55

19/7/00 - On exhibition in the Australian War Memorial's Special Exhibition Gallery from 31 July to 20 September 2000 will be Bluey & Curley: Portraits from an Era 1939-55, featuring the comic strip Bluey & Curley created by Alex Gurney.

Bluey & Curley first appeared in the Sun News Pictorial soon after the commencement of the Second World War. In creating Bluey & Curley Alex Gurney brought to life two convincing and authentic Australian characters. Bluey and Curley's mateship and the ongoing story of their adventures contributed greatly to the genre of Australian digger humor. The exhibition will feature some of the rare original comic strips from World War II and works by other Australian artists of that era such as Russell Drysdale, Sidney Nolan, Charles Blackman, William Dobell and Albert Tucker.

Australian War Memorial Wins Top Tourism Award

Memorial Director Steve Gower with UC student Supriya Chaudhary at the Tourism Awards. Supriya assisted with the development of the Memorial's entry.

17/7/00 - The Australian War Memorial has been named as the Canberra Region's top tourist attraction. The Memorial won the Major Tourist Attraction Award at the Annual Canberra Region Tourism Awards held on Saturday 15 July 2000.

More information...

NAIDOC Week Performance

Bob Slockee performing in the Commemorative Area.

7/7/00 - Memorial employee Bob Slockee is fast making a name for himself as one of Australia's foremost didgeridoo players. Bob played for The Queen during her visit to Canberra earlier this year, and was then invited to play at the ANZAC Day Dawn Service at Gallipoli. His performance there was seen on live television throughout Australia and New Zealand, and greatly impressed the fifteen thousand who turned out for the dedication of the new Gallipoli Commemorative Site.

During NAIDOC Week (3-7 July) Bob performed daily to appreciative visitors in the Commemorative Area of the Memorial.

New Beginnings: Wendy Sharpe and East Timor

Children at Suai
By Wendy Sharpe
(AWM ART 91125)

On exhibition for the first time in the Australian War Memorial's Special Exhibition Gallery from 29 June to 23 July 2000 will be paintings and drawings by Sydney artist and Archibald Prize winner, Wendy Sharpe.

Wendy was the Memorial's first female official artist since the Second World War, when three were appointed. Accompanying Australian peacekeepers, she travelled in and around Suai, Maliana, Balibo and Dili recording impressions of the countryside and the Australian-led INTERFET force.

More information...

Historic Naval Relic for Memorial

View of the mount

20/6/00 - An important relic from Australia's involvement in the Vietnam War is now on display outside the Australian War Memorial, thanks to the Royal Australian Navy and TenixToll Defence Logistics.

An aft gun turret from the guided missile destroyer HMAS Brisbane has gone on display on a purpose-built plinth in the Memorial's Northern Courtyard. The Northern Courtyard is the area bounded by ANZAC Hall (currently under construction) to the north, the main Memorial building to the south, the Administration Building to the west and existing parkland to the east. It will be an attractive space for pedestrians, in harmony with the Sculpture Garden and the Western Courtyard.

The turret is an original fixture on the Brisbane, but was replaced in the early 70s after operational service off Vietnam. It has been in storage in Sydney ever since.

However, moving the 50 tonne piece of equipment from Sydney to Canberra provided a number of challenges. It was for this reason that the Memorial called on the expertise of TenixToll Defence Logistics.

Because of its weight and size, the turret could only be moved at night, and under escort by the NSW Roads and Traffic Authority. The move - planned and carried out by TenixToll - went without a hitch.

The Navy has also agreed to paint the turret to restore it to its original appearance.

Memorial Director Steve Gower has paid tribute to the Navy and to TenixToll Defence Logistics for their help in relocating the turret. "This turret is a very significant relic of the Vietnam War", he said. "It is now available to all Australians, thanks to the RAN and TenixToll. It could not have happened without the generous support of both organisations".

Go to more information on HMAS Brisbane.

Gallipoli: the August Offensive

An Australian uses a periscope in one of the trenches which was captured on the 8th August 1915, during the attack on Lone Pine, Gallipoli.
(AWM A03771)

20/6/00 - This year marks the 85th anniversary of Gallipoli campaign. The Memorial is marking this event with a special symposium, ‘Gallipoli: the August offensive’.

Much has been said about the landing on Gallipoli, but this symposium is an opportunity to learn about and discuss the battles in August which represented the last attempt to break the bitter stalemate between the Turks and the Allies. Speakers include several members of staff at the Memorial, along with some outside experts:

Kenan Çelik	A Turkish view of the August offensive
Professor Robin Prior	The Suvla Bay landing
Dr Chris Pugsley	The August offensive: the New Zealand Story
Richard Pelvin	The naval dimension and Gallipoli
Ashley Ekins	Lone Pine
Peter Burness	The Nek
Brad Manera	Hill 60

Dr Peter Stanley will chair the final session of the day, a panel discussing new views of Gallipoli.

Kenan Çelik is a lecturer in English language and literature at Onsekiz Mart University in Çanakkale, Turkey. He has published in Turkey on the history of the Gallipoli campaign, and has guided over 10,000 visitors to the Gallipoli battlefields and cemeteries. He will be a Visiting Scholar at the Memorial in August this year.

The one-day symposium will be held at the Telstra Theatre on Saturday 5 August 2000. The cost is $55, and $27.50 for full time students (includes GST). Closing date for registration: 29th July.

Go to a PDF version of the symposium brochure, including a registration form. (Click here for help with PDF).

Further enquiries to Anne-Marie Conde by 29 July on (02) 6243 4328 or by e-mail: anne-marie.conde@awm.gov.au

Selected papers are now available on this site.

Wartime Magazine

29/6/00 - Issue #10 of WARTIME magazine is now available.

WARTIME is the official magazine of the Australian War Memorial. It is devoted to the Australian experience of war; military history; and the effects of war on society. Articles deal fully and frankly with both the distressing and the lighter sides of war. Every issue delivers the stories of courage and survival of both service personnel and civilians.

Seminar: Japan's War in Living Memory and Beyond - Professor Theodore F. Cook

24/5/00 - Professor Cook will speak about the research he has been doing on Japanese memories of the invasion of China and the Second World War. He will attempt to show how different types of memory in Japan, official and private, have shaped Japanese consciousness today. He will survey Japanese perceptions of "their" war and explore the nature of the experiences which have shaped personal and national memories. Professor Cook will suggest that the creation of a legacy of war memories - represented, perhaps, by the newly-opened Showakan - remains an evolving and much contested enterprise even half a century after Japan's defeat.

Theodore F. Cook Jr. is Professor of History at the William Paterson University of New Jersey. He is a specialist on the organisation and ideology of the Japanese Army, and is the author of Japan at War: an Oral History (New York 1992)

When & where:

Monday 29 May 2000 at 11:00am
Administration Building Conference Room
Australian War Memorial

Seminar: The Military-Media Relationship Since the Vietnam War - Dr Stephen Badsey

28/4/2000 - The Vietnam War ended 25 years ago this week, but its experience continues to influence the way every major war has been fought since. One of the most important influences is the repeated military claim that the United States in particular lost the war not on the battlefield but "on the television screens of America". Some Australian journalists have argued that Since Vietnam the fundamental role of the war reporter has been subverted by military strategies of manipulation deliberately developed for that purpose, and that wars such as Kosovo 1999 are no longer "reported" in any meaningful sense. In contrast, some senior military figures have argued that the media are actually or potentially out of control on the battlefield. Changes in the nature of the international structure, the uses of military force, and the nature of the media since 1975 all suggest that it is entirely possible that the day of the war reporter is indeed over.

Dr Stephen Badsey MA(Cantab.) FRHistS is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of War Studies at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. He is the author or editor of over thirty books and papers on the history and conduct of warfare, and has made frequent appearances on television, radio and in the print media around the world. One of his specialist research areas is the military-media relationship, including most recently speaking on "The Boer War as a Media War" to the 1999 Chief of Army/AWM Military History Conference, and editing the book "The Media and International Security" (Frank Cass, 2000).

When & where:

3.00 pm
Wednesday 3 May 2000
Administration Building Training Room
Australian War Memorial

New AWM Exhibition Marks 50th Anniversary of Korean War

14/4/00 - To mark the 50th anniversary of the start of the Korean War, the Australian War Memorial's latest travelling exhibition, Out in the Cold: Australia's involvement in the Korean War was officially opened by the Minister for Veterans Affairs and the Minister Assisting the Minister for Defence, Bruce Scott.

The exhibition has been timed to coincide with the dedication of the Korean War Memorial on ANZAC Parade and to represent a tribute to the men and women who were involved in a war that has received little subsequent publicity.

Click here for the media release.

ANZAC Passes the Tradition to a New Generation

Alec Campbell laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Australian Soldier.

11/4/00 - In a ceremony at the Memorial's Commemorative Area, one of Australia's two remaining Gallipoli veterans passed the ANZAC tradition into the hands of a new generation. 101-year-old Alec Campbell, joined by the Prime Minister, John Howard, and the Minister for Veterans' Affairs, Bruce Scott, presented an Australian flag to six members of the Australian Defence Force (ADF).

This Australian flag will then make a special pilgrimage to Gallipoli with these young officers and junior ranks where it will be flown on April 25 at the first dawn service to be held at the new ANZAC commemorative site. The flag will be returned to the Australian War Memorial for safekeeping. It will be flown each year at the ANZAC Day dawn service at Gallipoli.

Queen Re-Opens Memorial's Hall of Memory

27/3/00 - The restored Hall of Memory was re-opened by The Queen during her visit to the Australian War Memorial on Monday 27 March 2000. During her visit to the Memorial The Queen also laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Australian Soldier and met war veterans and peacekeepers from the Interfet deployment in East Timor. Among the veterans were two surviving Victoria Cross winners, Ted Kenna and Keith Payne.

Click here to view some photographs of the event, as well as the media release.

Research Centre - Disruption to Services

24/3/00 - ANZAC Hall is being built with $11.9 million from the Federal Government's Centenary of Federation Fund. Due to be completed by 31 March 2001, it will display the Memorial's large technology items. The new building will be constructed on the present parking area, immediately behind the main Memorial building. To prepare the site, considerable excavation work will be required.

There will be a significant impact on the Research Centre Reading Room, particularly in terms of noise and dust:

A barrier will seal off part of the Reading Room to minimise the impact.
The range of seating and facilities has been reduced.

Reading Room services will be maintained during the construction of ANZAC Hall. Staffing of the Reading Room will continue at normal levels. Every effort will be made to reduce the impact on retrieval and other services. The Memorial regrets any inconvenience caused by the new development.

Please contact the Research Centre beforehand if you have special requirements, such as access to maps and plans, or with any other enquiries relating to services.

Completion of Indexing Task

11/2/00 - Lt Col Arthur Newton (retd) MBE began as a volunteer in the Memorial's Research Centre in 1988 and has worked single-mindedly and determinedly, one morning per week, on 3000 files in 304 boxes of First World War Red Cross Wounded and Missing records.

The work involved making a nominal roll index (with unit) of 35,000 wounded and missing soldiers for whom there is information in the records. The records include inquiry letters from desperate family members and, more poignantly, the investigations conducted by the Bureau. These are the eye-witness accounts of comrades who witnessed the fate of the wounded/missing soldier.

Arthur's work (for the last three years in tandem with another volunteer, Tom Morris) means that researchers can quickly look up the index by personal name to see if there is information in those records on the particular person they are researching. Prior to Arthur's index, the records themselves, which are arranged in alphabetical order, were issued to researchers to look through, resulting in risk to the records and disappointment for researchers who found nothing on their particular person of interest.

Arthur's index is currently available in the Research Centre Reading Room. It is planned for this material to be added to the biographical name information offered in the same suite of digital resources as the Roll of Honour and the First World War Nominal Roll already made available on the Memorial's website.

New Carpark, More Trees As Work Begins On ANZAC Hall

3/2/00 - Work is to begin shortly on a new carpark at the Australian War Memorial as part of the major ANZAC Hall project.

The new carpark will be built in two sections - on the western and eastern sides of the Memorial site, providing a total of 348 spaces. This is an increase of 78 spaces over current arrangements, and is designed to avoid the possibility of overflow parking in residential areas. There will be eight disabled parking spaces provided, located on the eastern side of the main building, closer to the Memorial entrance.

Click here for more information.

Temporary closure of the Hall of Valour and Hall of Memory

2/2/00 - After 18 months of painstaking work, restoration of the Australian War Memorial's Hall of Memory will finally be complete at the end of February. The Hall will be closed for a short period from 8 February to 18 February to remove scaffolding and install new lights to the Tomb of the Unknown Australian Soldier and pendentives (figures) on the walls of the mosaic.

The Australian War Memorial's Hall of Valour will also be closed from 14 February to fit a new plaster ceiling and for a remodeling of the toilets. Renovations are due for completion at the end of March or early April.

Official Artists' work to go on display

Morning wash, INTERFET Headquarters.
by Rick Amor
(AWM 91048)

2/2/00 - The two Official Artists sent to Timor by the Memorial are now back in Australia and finishing off their works. Rick Amor and Wendy Sharpe both spent several weeks in Timor recording their impressions of the country and the work of the Australian-led INTERFET force. They are the first Official Artists appointed since Vietnam. Wendy was the first female artist since the Second World War. An exhibition of Rick's works will be held in the Special Exhibition Gallery from 2 March to 2 April. Wendy's works will be displayed for most of July.

Ivor Hele: the heroic figure, currently on display in the Special Exhibition Gallery, will now close early on 27 February.

Open Day/Open Night

22/1/00 - Open Day/Open Night. Rediscover your nation's heritage and celebrate by participating in activities at the Australian War Memorial (9am - 9:30pm) and ANZAC Parade (2pm-7pm) on Saturday 22 January 2000.

Special activities all day in the Australian War Memorial's galleries
Songs of the War Years in the Telstra Theatre presented by Moya Simpson and John Shortis
Civilian Vehicle Parade, 1911 - 1945
Aerial displays
Australian Heritage Light Horse Troop parade and display
Brass and pipe bands
Talks and displays of the memorials on ANZAC Parade
Evening performance on the Parade Ground of 'The Broken Years' featuring the Hall Village Brass Band and the Combined Sing Australia Choirs.

Click here for a program of events. If any further information is required please phone the Memorials's activity line on (02) 6243 4598.

Sealed Wartime Diaries Opened

5/1/00 - Before Sister Muriel Knox Doherty died in 1988, she donated several wartime diaries in a sealed box to the Australian War Memorial with the special instructions that the contents of the "time capsule" only be opened in the year 2000.