Online services
Introduction
Research Centre services
Collections
Biographical databases
Research and family history
Military history
The Memorial
Introduction
The Memorial’s website provides online access to databases of people and collections, finding aids, information sheets, articles and summaries relating to Australians at war, and an increasing number of digitised documents and images. It also contains information about our services, collections and facilities.
Research Centre Services
The Research Centre is the first point of contact for enquiries about Australian military history and the Memorial's collections.
- ReQuest is our online reference service. Reference questions submitted online will be answered within 3-10 working days.
- The Research Centre can be contacted by telephone, letter, fax or email. We will respond to emails, letters and faxes within 10 working days, and to telephone enquiries within 3 working days if they cannot be answered immediately. Answers to complex enquiries may take longer.
- Research Centre staff provide basic research assistance, such as advice on relevant records or other possible sources of information. They are unable to undertake detailed research.
- If your query requires substantial research, you can hire a private research agent to assist you. For a list of agents, see our information sheet Research agents.
- Photocopy requests can be made by letter, fax and telephone or online through ReQuest. Copy requests should state precisely what material is required: use our online collection databases to identify which items you wish to request. Quotes are provided before a firm order is processed. Our information sheet Copying Services provides more detail.
Collections
- Collection Search database lists art, photographs, sound recordings, and private records held by the Memorial. Includes online images of art and photographs.
- Books Search database lists books, journals, maps and sheet music held by the Research Centre.
- Recordsearch database lists the official records held by the Memorial and the National Archives of Australia.
- Australian Army War Diaries from the First World War, Korean War and South-East Asian conflicts have been digitised and are accessible on the website. Second World War unit diaries for headquarters and infantry battalions have also been digitised. (Note: at present there are no plans to digitise any other Second World War unit diaries. Diaries not digitised may be viewed in the Reading Room of the Resarch Centre.)
- Reports of Proceedings (ROPs) were submitted by commanding officers to the Navy Office monthly or quarterly in both wartime and peacetime. The Memorial holds ROPs of HMA Ships and Establishments accumulated from September 1939 onwards. ROPs that are open for public access are being progressively scanned and added to the website.
- Finding aids describe selected private records and ephemera collections held in the Research Centre.
Biographical Databases
- Roll of Honour lists Australia 's 102,000 service personnel who died while serving.
- Commemorative Roll lists about 3,000 Australians who died while serving in the forces of other countries.
- Nominal Rolls contain names and brief service details of Australians who served in:
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- Sudan 1885
- South African War (Australian contingents only)
- Boxer Uprising 1900-1901
- First World War
- Second World War
- Korean War
- Vietnam War
- Gulf War
- Honours and awards lists gallantry awards granted to Australians while on active service with Australian forces.
- Australian Red Cross Society Wounded and Missing Enquiry Bureau files are digitised images of approximately 32,000 individual case files of Australian personnel reported as wounded or missing during the First World War. Often provides details of cause of death.
- AMF prisoners of war and missing in the Far East And South West Pacific Islands are digitised images of lists of prisoners of war and missing personnel as at 30 June 1944, compiled by the Department of the Army's NSW Echelon and Records Section
Research and family history
- Information sheets outline Research Centre services and useful resources for popular research topics.
- Online Encyclopedia of information frequently requested from the Memorial
- Knowledge base of questions answered by Research Centre staff
Military history
- Australians at war provides overviews of the conflicts in which Australia has been involved.
- Official histories provide a detailed, chronological record of Australia's involvement in war. Digitised images of the official histories of the First World War and Second World War are available online.
The Memorial
- Visitor information includes location, opening hours, facilities and maps.
- About the Memorial provides a history and description of the Memorial and its collections.
