Memorial News
5/6 December - G for George returns
The famous Lancaster bomber G for George has returned to the Memorial
as the centrepiece of a new, spectacular sound and light show, Striking
by Night.
View images of the opening celebrations
Bob Carr visits Memorial
27/11/2003 - NSW Premier Bob Carr has made his annual visit to the Memorial, accompanying students from selected Sydney schools.
Mr. Carr and students in the First World War Gallery.
Former Solidarity leader and Polish President Lech Walesa visited the Memorial as part of his Australian tour.
4/11/2003 - Former Solidarity leader and Polish President Lech Walesa visited the Memorial as part of his Australian tour. For information on Lech Walesa's place in history go to: http://www.time.com/time/time100/leaders/profile/walesa.html
Memorial Director Steve Gower (L) and Lech Walesa in the
Hall of Memory.
Visit by the President of the United States George W Bush 23rd October 2003
23/10/2003 - The President of the United States George W Bush toured the Australian War Memorial and placed a wreath on the tomb of the Unknown Australian Soldier. See photos from the President's visit.
Prime Minister John Howard, Mrs Laura Bush and President Bush in the
Memorial's galleries.
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Rugby World Cup teams visit Memorial
22/10/2003 - Members of the Canadian and Welsh Rugby World Cup teams have taken the opportunity to visit the Australian War Memorial during their stay in Canberra.
Memorial staffer Stuart Baines takes members of the
Welsh team on a tour of the Memorial.
Surprise visitor at the Memorial's travelling exhibition "Stella Bowen, Art, Love and War"
20/10/2003 - An elderly lady carrying two photographs
was a surprise visitor at the recent opening of the Memorial's travelling
exhibition "Stella Bowen, Art, Love and War" at the Grafton Regional
Gallery.
One of the key works in the exhibition is 'Bomber Crew'. It depicts seven members of a bomber who didn't return from a night mission over occupied Europe. Later it was discovered the plane had been shot down, and only one crewman survived to become a prisoner of war.
One who perished was Flying Officer Hector Harrison. For his sister, Mrs. Beth Bostock, the opening of the exhibition in Grafton was a poignant moment.
To this day, she keeps photos of her brother, and was thrilled to see him depicted in what is arguably Stella Bowen's best known war work.
Mrs. Beth Bostock with photos of her brother Flying Officer Hector
Harrison.
Bushfire appeal prize winners at Treloar complex
10/10/2003 - On Friday October 10, the Director of the Australian War Memorial, Steve Gower, hosted the winners of a behind-the-scenes tour at the Australian War Memorial's Treloar Complex. The tour was a prize at the Canberra Fires Benefit Dinner held on Thursday March 20.
The group visited areas closed to the public and enjoyed an up close and personal look as some of the Memorial's fascinating relics including a Beaufort Bomber, Iroquois helicopter from Vietnam, V2 Rocket, and one of the boats that landed on the shores of ANZAC Cove in Gallipoli.
The group is pictured with a rare Hunslet Steam engine. The engine was used to transport troops and supplies to the Western Front in the First World War. The Hunslet has been meticulously restored and is scheduled to be installed in ANZAC Hall in early 2004.
The Memorial is pleased to assist in the fundraising for the Canberra Bushfires Recovery Appeal. So far, over $9 million has been raised for distribution to the Canberra community.
Director
of the Australian War Memorial Steve Gower with James Stuart and (top
row L-R) George Reeves, Michael Peedom, Bill Watson and Ian Rischbeth.
Last surviving crew member of Hudson bomber A16-19 visits Memorial
22/9/2003 - Dr Don Dowie and his wife Cynthia, were today welcomed to the Australian War Memorial by the Director Steve Gower.
Dr Dowie, then Flying Officer Dowie, was the sole survivor when his Hudson bomber was shot down in the first days of the war in the Pacific. He drifted in the ocean for two days following the crash before being picked up by a Japanese ship and becoming the first RAAF prisoner of war. Around mid-1942 he was moved to Changi prison and later worked on the Burma-Thailand Railway.
He was released at the end of the Second World War and returned to Australia where he became a doctor.
In 1976 the remains of his aircraft (two engines) were located at Kota Bharu, brought to Australia and are now on display at the Australian War Memorial.
Dr Dowie and Mrs Dowie were escorted by the Director, Steve Gower, to view the Memorial’s Hudson bomber at the Treloar Complex in Mitchell, before returning to the Memorial to see the engine on display in the Second World War gallery. The Director said “It is a great pleasure to have Dr Dowie and his wife visit the Memorial. His visit has highlighted the significance of the Memorial’s collection of Second World War relics.”
Captured in colour: rare photographs from the First World War
11/9/2003 - The Memorial has launched
a bold new exhibition Captured in colour: rare photographs
from the First World War, which brings together
a selection of stunning colour imagesof the First World War from both
France and Australia. Photographers
of the First World War were keen to use the new colour techniques,
and Captured in colour offers the opportunity to see some of these
rare images.
The Director of the Australian War Memorial, Steve Gower, believes that this is a rare opportunity to see photographs from the First World War that have never been produced in colour before. “From brightly-clad French soldiers to Australian light horsemen in Palestine and French colonial troops on the Western Front, we see men and women coping with circumstances that few could have foreseen at the outbreak of the war”, he said.
Captured in colour will be on display at the Australian War Memorial until 29 February 2004. It will then tour Australia from April 2004.
Exhibition curators Nola Anderson and Ian Affleck with Jude Savage,
Head of Travelling Exhibition, at the launch of Capture in colour
Launch of Official History
18/8/2003 - On Vietnam Veterans’ day, Monday 18 August, the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs launched the latest edition of the Official Military History, On the Offensive: The Australian Army in the Vietnam War 1967-1968. Written by Ian McNeill and Ashley Ekins, the book tells the stories of some of the most significant battles of the Vietnam War, critically examines the successes and failures of the conflict and throws light on the experience of Australian soldiers in a way that has not been possible before.
Available now from the Memorial bookshop for $80.
Vietnam Veterans’ join author Ashley Ekins at the launch of On
the Offensive. From left to right The Member for Cowan, the Hon Graham
Edwards MP, Colonel Tony Jensen, John O’Halloran and Neville ‘Nobby’ Clark.
Vietnam classic returns to Memorial
6/8/2003 - A Vietnam era armoured personnel carrier (APC) M113A1 has been returned to the Memorial following an eight month restoration project by Tenix Defence Land Division and Toll Holdings.
The APC was originally presented to the Memorial in 1972 after it had suffered extensive damage in a landmine explosion in Vietnam.
The armoured personnel carrier (APC) M113A1.
Relics from the conflct in Iraq have been presented to the Memorial by the Royal Australian Navy.
25/7/2003 - Captain Peter Lockwood, Commanding Officer of HMAS ANZAC handed over the relics in a ceremony at the Memorial. The items include a sea mine from a captured Iraqi tug, an Iraqi flag from the same vessel, and a five inch shell casing engraved with the names of all crew members of ANZAC.
A Sea King helicopter from HMAS Kanimbla lands at the Memorial
prior to the handover to Iraq relics.
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'G for George' returning to ANZAC Hall
21/7/2003 - George is being returned to the Memorial after four years of conservation to be the centrepiece of a new object theatre presentation Striking by night to open on 6 December 2003.
The nose section of the Memorial's famous Lancaster bomber 'G for George'
moves past Federal Parliament House on its way back to ANZAC Hall.
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Bushmaster
14/6/2003 - Colonel Ted Acutt presents Assistant Director Mark Whitmore with a Bushmaster Infantry Mobility Vehicle that served in East Timor during the INTERFET operation. The Memorial expects to be able to display the vehicle to the public at a variety of locations.
Colonel Ted Acutt and Assistant Director Mark Whitmore standing in
front of the Bushmaster.
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Official artist returns from Iraq
14/5/2003 - Lewis Miller has recently returned from three weeks in the Middle East. During his time overseas he spent time with all three branches of the ADF. He was with the RAN on Kanimbla and ANZAC in the Persian Gulf and with Navy Mine Clearance Divers on the Al Faw peninsular in southern Iraq. Lewis accompanied the SAS at Al Asad where the SAS discovered the hidden Iraqi Air Force jet fighters. He was present when the RAAF’s FA18s returned to base after their last operations over Baghdad, and also visited the RAAF repair base in Dubai. He recorded the life on the main base, Camp Doha in Qatar, including both Australian and US personnel.
Lewis worked under considerable constraints, not least of which was blazing heat of up to 50 degrees, which made working with oil paint impossible, which dried his gouache almost as soon as he put them on his palette, and which caused his blocks of watercolour to melt at times.
Lewis was also on the move a lot and sometimes had only an hour or so to capture the activities around him.
Lewis Miller, Official Artist, talks about his experiences in Iraq
Security issues also constrained him. Some areas and subjects were out of bounds and the ban on producing recognisable portraits of serving SAS men was a frustration to a painter among whose specialities are portraits.
Lewis produced almost 80 watercolours, drawings and sketches during his time overseas, a selection of which we will be acquiring for the national collection. The work Lewis has done for us is very much on the spot recording and impressions that he will use as aide memoires for the three large studio paintings he will now return to his studio to produce.
Centurion tank on the move
8/5/2003 - The Memorial's Centurion tank was the first major object moved out of ANZAC HAll in preparation for the return of the Lancaster 'G for George'.
The Centurian on a low loader ready for transport to the Memorial's
storage facility at Mitchell.
Family war archive donated to the Memorial
6/5/2003 - Today Mrs Beryl Fowler handed over her
mother's collection of First and Second World War memorabilia. The
collection is comprised of personal and service diaries, postcards,
souvenirs, contemporary books and magazines.
The archive was compiled by Mrs Fowler’s mother, Jessie Brentnall,
over decades and contained First World War memorabilia collected by
her husband, Walter Brentnall, all the letters Mrs Fowler’s personal
letters sent home to her mother during her service in the Second World
War as well as memorabilia collected by her brothers, George Melrose
Fish and Charles Vivian Fish, who served in Gallipoli.
Walter Brenthall, Mrs Fowler’s father, enlisted as a 19 year old stretcher bearer and landed at Gallipoli on 25 April with the Second Field Ambulance. He meticulous documented his five months at Gallipoli in his diary. Walter contracted enteric fever and was returned to the United Kingdom where he was hospitalised. After his recovery, he went on to serve in France where he was wounded and then repatriated to Australia. He died in 1966.
Mrs Fowler’s brothers, George and Charles, both enlisted in the 2nd Field Ambulance. George went ashore on Gallipoli on 28 April. He survived his Gallipoli service and went on to France where he died of wounds in March 1916. Charles enlisted in July 1915 and served in France where he died of wounds on April17, 1918.
Beryl Fowler and her husband James hand over the family collection
to Jennifer Coombes the Memorial's Curator of Private Records.
ANZAC Day 2003
25/4/03 - View photos from the 2003 ANZAC Day ceremonies at the Australian War Memorial.
Memorial receives war hero's medals
2/4/03 The Memorial has received on long term loan the medals of one of Australia's most decorated soldiers. The Victoria Cross, Military Cross and Bar and Distinguished Conduct Medal of Lietentant Joe Maxwell have been loaned by the Army Museum at Victorian Barracks, Sydney.
Jean Willett, daughter of Joe Maxwell, with her father's medals.
The Memorial now has on display 57 of the 96 Victoria Crosses awarded to Australians.
Open Day
22/2/2003 - More than 11,000 people turned out for the Memorial’s annual Open day held on Saturday 22 February.
A selection of images from the day
The Memorial is Top Tourist Attraction Again
21/2/2003 - The Australian War Memorial has won its third consecutive national tourism award in the category of Major Tourist Attraction. Never before in the history of the awards has an attraction received this level of recognition of excellence.
Linda Ferguson, Helen Withnell, Steve Gower (AWM Director) & Marylou Pooley
with the Memorials' three awards
(Photo courtesy CityNews, March 6
2003)
Australian War Memorial wins third national tourism award
The Memorial's Director, Steve Gower, with many of the Memorial staff in the
Commemorative Courtyard
Open Day - Saturday 22 February 2003
30/1/03 - The Memorial's annual open day will feature fly-overs(every hour, by modern and historic militay aircraft. a large display of historic military vehicles from both the Memorial's collection and from the Australian Military Vehicle Collectors Society. The Geelong re-enactment society will fire off a 25-pounder gun every hour on the hour.
Singers, Shortis and Simpson will perform Song of the War Years while local concert bands will perform in the grounds throughout the day. There'll be behind the scences tours and special children's programs. The day will end with a concert by the RMC Band in the Sculpture Garden.
School Holiday Opening Hours
20/12/02 - The Memorial will be open from 9am (instead of the usual 10am) from Saturday 21st December to Sunday 2nd February inclusive.
Relics of the War Against Terror presented to the Memorial
22/11/2002 Members of the RAAF's 33 Squadron have presented the Memorial with material used during the Squadron's deployment to Kyrgystan.
Two aerial refuelling tankers were deployed to the former Soviet republic between March and September 2002 as part of the multi-national coalition against terror. More than 140 RAAF personnel were involved in the deployment.
l to r: Warrant Officer Mike Hutchinson, Wing Commander George Kollios, Memorial
Assistant Director Mark Whitmore and Warrant Officer Pat McMahon look at
some of the more than 30 items presented to the amemorial by 33 Squadron.
Crew of the HMAS Kanimbla present a banner to the Memorial
Officers and crew of the HMAS Kanimbla, present to Memorial staff, a banner made by the ship's crew during its deployment to the Gulf in 2001.
Mark Whitmore, Assistant Director National Collection and Sandy Clugston, Manager
Military Heraldry & Technology with Commander David McCourt and members
from the crew of the Kanimbla
Three in a row for the Memorial
The Australian War Memorial has confirmed its place as Canberra's
premier tourist attraction, being named Best Major Attraction for the
third consecutive year.
The award was announced at the 2002 Canberra and Capital Region Tourism Awards
ceremony. The Memorial previously won this award in 2000 and 2001, and in both
years went on to be named Australia's Best Major Tourist Attraction at the
national awards.
Memorial staff celebrate at the awards presentation.
The Memorial's Director, Steve Gower, said the award further emphasised
the AWM's importance to regional tourism as one of Australia's leading
cultural institutions. "Australians have long recognised the Memorial
as a special place - the heart of our nation. This third consecutive
award illustrates the continuing renewal of our galleries and the dedication
and professionalism of our staff who made this possible", he said.
In about 12 months time, the Memorial's newest addition, ANZAC Hall, will be
further enhanced with a new display, the Lancaster bomber G for George which
is currently undergoing extensive conservation in the Memorial's workshop. "I
confidently predict the G for George display will be outstanding", the
Director said.
The Australian War Memorial is Australia's most visited national cultural institution.
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