ANNUAL REPORT 2013-2014: PERFORMANCE REPORT

Outcome and Outputs Structure

Australian government agencies are required to measure their performance in terms of Outcomes. These are the results, impacts, or consequences of their actions on the Australian community. The performance of the Australian War Memorial is expressed in terms of a single Outcome:

Australians remember, interpret, and understand the Australian experience of war and its enduring impact on Australian society.

The Outcome will be achieved through the maintenance and development of the national memorial and a national collection of historical material, and through commemorative ceremonies, exhibitions, research, interpretation, and dissemination.

The Memorial delivers 13 programs, of which five are internally generated, to achieve the Outcome:

External Programs

Output 1.1 Commemorative Ceremonies

Output 1.2 The National Memorial and Grounds

Output 1.3 The National Collection

Output 1.4 Exhibitions

Output 1.5 Interpretive Services

Output 1.6 Promotions and Community Services

Output 1.7 Research, Information, and Dissemination

Output 1.8 Visitor Services

Internal Programs

Output 1.9 Corporate Governance

Output 1.10 Executive Strategic Management

Output 1.11 Resource Management

Output 1.12 Revenue Generation

Output 1.13 Team Management

Overall Performance against the Outcome

But the Second World War found us still able and ready to fight for freedom; and that free men and women should have to risk everything in fighting for their freedom within 21 years of having saved it in an earlier struggle, is nothing new in history; rather it accords with the normal process by which freedom has been won and maintained. Charles Bean, Anzac to Amiens, 1952.

The Memorial delivered an extensive range of exhibitions and programs this year which assisted our audiences to build a connection with their own past as well as with Australian military history. One of the Memorial's strengths is the ability to make military history accessible to broad and differing audiences through a combination of general and focused interpretive programs and events. This year the approaches and formats have ranged from haunting photographs of First World War servicemen during rest and recreation in Vignacourt, to a timely introduction to the contemporary experiences of our servicemen in Afghanistan.

A very incredible exhibition. Very, very moving and had a big impact. One of the most moving I have ever seen. Brought home so many things I could never have imagined. Visitor to Remember me: the lost diggers of Vignacourt

The reality of the experiences of Australian troops has been successfully conveyed to our audiences, who consistently evaluated the exhibitions as informative and moving. Even if saddened by stories of hardship or loss experienced by Australian servicemen, servicewomen and their families, our audiences considered this emotional stirring a memorable and beneficial part of their experience at the Memorial, as Bean had poetically anticipated:

When things were really bad... when men were almost at the end of their tether and would have welcomed death certainly - the one consolation was to think: "If those in Australia knew, how pitiful and how proud they would be". Charles Bean, In your hands, Australians, 1918

"I found it very emotional, am very proud", "Quite positive and sad but not sad", "Sad but reflective", "Sad but uplifting", "Sad but informative", "Very good with slight sadness", "Very impressive with great sadness and sense of loss". Visitor descriptions of Remember me: the lost diggers of Vignacourt, 2013

"I feel grateful and sad", "Proud and sad", "A bit sad and proud", "Proud and sad for the loss but proud of our men and women who served", "Proud of our soldiers and a little bit in awe". Visitor comments on the Afghanistan: the Australian story gallery, 2014.

Commemoration performance indicator:

Whether people were actively involved in commemoration by attending the national Anzac Day and Remembrance Day ceremonies and other commemorative ceremonies held at the Memorial.

Record Anzac Day attendances for the Dawn Service and National Ceremony reflected the presence of Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. This year's National Ceremony audience was around 25,500 people. This is an increase of around 8,000 people or 46 per cent up on last year, and the largest attendance recorded for this ceremony. An estimated 2,000 more people attended the Dawn Service and contributed to a new record figure of over 37,000 people. It is likely that the presence of the Royals at the National Ceremony drew some people away from the Dawn Service attendance.

Remembrance Day attendance in 2013 saw around 1,600 fewer visitors than the previous year's ceremony, with 2,200 people joining this outdoor ceremony despite a very cold and rainy day.

In late March 2013 the existing daily closing ceremony program was replaced with the new Last Post Ceremony format. Since its introduction, the Last Post Ceremony has received consistently high attendances with a total for the financial year of 113,394. Compared with 2012-13, this is an increase of 22 per cent, or an additional 20,114 people attending.

Slightly more than 3,866 people attended wreathlaying or other dedicated commemorative ceremonies, and more than 5,200 students participated in school wreathlaying ceremonies.

Accessibility performance indicator

Whether a significant number of Australians visited or had access to the Australian War Memorial and its services including exhibitions, travelling exhibitions, collections, website, Research Centre, and research and interpretive programs.

Total interactions for this year included more than 4.9 million visitors to the website, more than 921,300 visitors to the Memorial and its storage facility in Mitchell, more than 197,340 visitors to travelling exhibitions, and assistance with almost 28,000 research enquiries.

The Memorial's on-site visitation welcomed more than 125,300 student visitors this year. In addition, more than 33,000 people visited the Memorial's reading room and 193,920 visitors participated in interpretive programs and events. These figures do not include visitation to exhibitions by other organisations that display items on loan from the Memorial's collection.

Overall, 98 per cent of the Memorial's visitors who responded to the General Visitor Survey rated the Memorial as either exceeding or meeting their expectations. First-time visitors to the Memorial accounted for 35 per cent of visitors. Around 22 per cent of domestic travellers in the survey said that the Memorial was the main reason for their visit to Canberra.

Knowledge and understanding performance indicator

Whether, as a result of their contact with the Memorial, visitors and clients had an increased level of knowledge and understanding of the Australian experience of war and its enduring impact on our society.

Evidence that people's knowledge and understanding are enhanced by visiting the Memorial is provided by evaluation results. One of the strengths of the Anzac voices exhibition has been the way it has conveyed to visitors the conditions faced by Australians serving in the First World War. Almost 90 per cent agreed or strongly agreed that the exhibition had given them a better understanding of this experience.

Great contrast with Afghanistan gallery within proximity of First World War to see the juxtaposition of conditions. Visitor comment, 2014

When asked to describe the conditions that were faced, many of those interviewed used particularly strong and emotive words, with 31 per cent using "horrendous" "horrific", and "shocking", 25 per cent using words such as "terrible" or "abominable", and 17 per cent using the words "appalling" or "sad". Ten per cent described the conditions as beyond comprehension, unbelievable or indescribable.

Harsh, speechless, brutal.

Appalling, everything was against them, the weather etc. War was changing and the old methods were not relevant.

Don't know how they did it, sad and gut wrenching. Visitor comments, 2014

The most memorable elements of this exhibition mainly related to either the photographs or the objects on display.

The aerial reconnaissance map, it is evidence that contradicts what I have been told.

The handmade periscope, improvisation, a brilliant improvisation.

The diaries, so many of them, the diary with the bullet in it, Simpson's letters.

The list of things they were told to do before they landed at Gallipoli.

Watching the guys enlist. The hope in their eyes and no comprehension of where they were going.

Visitor comments, 2014

The Memorial has continued with ongoing research that examines war and the Australian identity. Visitors who completed the General Visitor Survey were again asked to rate how important they thought the Australian experience of war was in shaping the Australian identity. This year 78 per cent of people surveyed stated the Australian experience of war has been "very important" to "extremely important" in creating and shaping the Australian identity. Last year the result was 80 per cent, and these visitors were more likely to be aged over 55. This year the spread was more equal across all the visitor age-brackets, indicating a broadening demographic with this view.

The remainder of this report assesses the Memorial's achievement against the performance measures and targets established in the Portfolio Budget Statements for each of the Memorial's eight external and five internal outputs. Much of this data is drawn from the Memorial's continuing program of evaluation and visitor research.

Centenary of the First World War

Planning for the Centenary of Anzac is well advanced, with a number of projects underway for delivery early in 2014-15. These projects have been the priority for 2013-14 and relate to almost all of the following performance programs. In order to reduce duplication and to make it easier to understand the Memorial's centenary program, they will reported here and not against the related program.

The projects will be launched at various times throughout the four years of the First World War centenary period, beginning on 4 August 2014. The Anzac Centenary Projects Steering Committee was established in August 2013 to provide a governance and project delivery framework and to ensure adherence to project management principles in the delivery of the projects.

The Memorial continues to be a member of the Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA) Interdepartmental Taskforce, and is working with DVA to deliver the official centenary merchandise program as well as co-ordinating with the media aspects of the centenary commemorations.

A communications strategy for the overall approach to marketing communications for the centenary is in development. This strategy will focus on the three key areas of communications and marketing, media, and the web. The launch of the centenary logo and program in February 2014 has placed the Memorial centenary program at the forefront for media organisations and their program planning for the next four years.

Redevelopment of the First World War Galleries

The First World War Galleries were closed to the public throughout 2013-14 to enable construction, fit-out, and installation work to be undertaken. Construction work began in June 2013 and was completed in February 2014. This was on schedule and within budget. Exhibition fit-out work began in November 2013 and has progressed satisfactorily to date. This phase is anticipated to be completed in August 2014.

Significant progress was made in relation to the curatorship, design, and production of all exhibition components, including exhibition text and graphics, mannequins and set-piece displays, object mounts, exhibition lighting, and multimedia. The conservation and preparation of collection items for display in the galleries posed some challenges; however, steady progress was achieved in the last quarter of the year. Conservation, cleaning, and repositioning of the dioramas within the galleries was largely completed. Installation of the first exhibition components in the galleries began in June 2014. This final phase is scheduled for completion in late 2014, ready for opening to the public, with a formal opening in February 2015.

Governance of the project was satisfactory and monthly meetings were held by the First World War Galleries Redevelopment Project Control Group, comprising the Memorial's Corporate Management Group, the Chief Finance Officer, Project Director, and principal consultants (architect, exhibition designer, quantity surveyor, and project management consultant),

Anzac connections

The Anzac connections project involves the progressive digitisation of thousands of pages of personal accounts, letters, and diaries from Australians who served in the First World War. It also makes available improved linkage and search options to bring together all the Memorial's digital collections, including photographs, film, works of art, and objects. The first 150 collections of private records related to individuals who served in the First World War were launched on 17 April 2014, and are available to the public free and online through Anzac connections. Further collections, including the papers of General Sir John Monash, were launched by the Honourable Tony Abbott MP, Prime Minister of Australia, on 25 June 2014 at Parliament House. The collections are broadly representative of the Australian experience of the First World War, and include diaries and letters written by commanders, nurses, an Indigenous Australian, VC recipients, and many ordinary Australians caught up in war. They range from a single-page letter to the 10,000-page collection related to the papers of General Sir John Monash, all delivered online with simple, intuitive navigation.

The Anzac connections project has delivered a web platform to publish an online biographical page for each person. This development has been showcased with one page created per person for each private record collection that has been published. These pages include links to recently migrated biographical rolls and collection objects related to the creator of the private record. The Memorial will add collections to the site over the centenary period.

Recently, the project has focused on enhancing the search-and-result display functions of the web and the clean-up of data that resulted from the merging of the Memorial's two major collection databases. This data will in turn be used to create an online web ontology standard. This will improve search results and discoverability of the collections and allow all cultural institutions who are producing material related to the centenary of the First World War to exchange between their collections. The Memorial is currently in discussion with the National Archives of Australia, the National Library, and the State Library of New South Wales regarding collaborative opportunities for the project.

Memorial centenary logo

In February 2014 the Memorial launched its centenary logo, featuring the key line Their Spirit, Our Pride, at the announcement of our centenary program. The logo has been trademarked and will be used for all Memorial projects and activities and licensed to significant donors, sponsors, supporters, and various community-based centenary initiatives.

Merchandising programs

As a result of the Anzac Centenary Advisory Board's recommendations the Memorial was appointed the lead agency to manage and deliver the Anzac Centenary Official Merchandising Program on behalf of the federal government. Contract negotiations and product development are underway.

In addition to managing this program the Memorial has produced its own range of centenary merchandise. In late 2013 Intandem was contracted to deliver a range of centenary-branded merchandise, to be available to all Australians through external retailers and a specific centenary website. Products include apparel, stationery, publications, homewares, memorabilia, reproductions, and corporate gifts, some of which went on sale in April 2014. Collaboration with Intandem is also underway to develop a dedicated website for this range (including wholesale orders. In addition the Memorial has signed agreements with the Royal Australian Mint for a series of commemorative coins and with Australia Post for an extensive stamp program featuring the Memorial's centenary logo, highlighting Australia's involvement in conflicts throughout the century.

Anzac Day 2015

Preparation for the expected increase in visitor numbers for Anzac Day 2015 has commenced. The new elements introduced over the past two years will be continued and expert advice has been sought with regard to appropriate site planning and layout to ensure public safety.

Centenary commemorative performance

An Anzac commemorative performance is also being planned for 2015. The initial scoping for the performance has been completed and detailed planning will be undertaken during 2014.

Roll of Honour Soundscapes; Roll of Honour Lighting Projections

Two commemorative projects focused on the Roll of Honour will be launched on 4 August 2014: the Roll of Honour Soundscapes and the Roll of Honour Lighting Projections.

The Roll of Honour Soundscapes will feature children's voices reciting the name and age at death of each one of the 62,000 Australians listed on the First World War Roll of Honour. These voices will form a subtle, solemn soundscape within the western cloister as you walk alongside the First Wold War Roll of Honour panels. The supporting infrastructure within the cloisters was completed by the end of June 2014 and our partners, ABC Radio and Google, have facilitated the recordings.

These same Roll of Honour names will be projected as text onto the exterior of the Memorial building, beneath the Hall of Memory dome, each night during the four years of the centenary period. The infrastructure for the projections was completed by early July 2014, and an online estimator has been developed to allow the public to anticipate when a specific name will be projected. The final requirements for the online estimator has progressed to the build-and-test phase at the end of 2013-14 and it is planned to "go-live" to coincide with the centenary of the declaration of the First World War, on 4 August 2014.

External lighting

The exterior of the Memorial has been transformed through architectural lighting to provide greater illumination of important central aspects of the building, with prominence given to the stained-glass windows of the Hall of Memory, now visible through a subtle glow from within.

Commemorative Crosses

The Commemorative Crosses program has commenced and will continue during the centenary period. The project draws on the commemorative experiences of schoolchildren as part of their visit to the Memorial, capturing in the students' own words their individual reflections on those Australians who lost their lives in war and other conflicts. These thoughts will take the form of short messages written on small wooden crosses, which the Memorial - working with Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade - will arrange to be laid on Australian war graves and memorials across the world. Crosses have already been laid in Belgium, China, Egypt, Lebanon, Singapore, and Turkey, and this will continue throughout the centenary period.

Travelling exhibitions

Remember me: the lost diggers of Vignacourt, featuring hand-printed First World War photographs from the Louis and Antoinette Thuillier collection, continues to form an important part of the Memorial's travelling exhibitions and Centenary of Anzac programs. The exhibition commenced touring in mid-2013.

A camera on Gallipoli is a photographic exhibition based on the remarkable images taken by Colonel Charles Ryan during his service as a surgeon on Gallipoli. This exhibition has been developed in three format: firstly, a prepared framed exhibition suitable for smaller venues such as libraries, schools, and councils; secondly, as exhibition graphic panels in a digital form for users to print for their own display; and thirdly, as a pop-up exhibition suitable for outdoor display. Over 90 venues have expressed an interest in displaying the exhibition in one of the three formats.

Large Technology Objects display

First World War Large Technology Objects will be displayed in the Memorial grounds next year for the duration of the centenary for visitors to view and understand the significance of these collection items. Three sites have been identified on the western side of the Memorial building for the installation of these objects. The selection is being finalised pending assessmen1t of conservation requirements and significance.

Publishing

Two significant Memorial publications will be released in 2014-15. The first, Anzac treasures: the Gallipoli collection of the Australian War Memorial, is written by Dr Peter Pedersen and will be released in November 2014. This superb publication tells the story of Gallipoli through the priceless objects, photographs, works of art, diaries, and documents in arguably the most significant Anzac-related collection in the world.

Australians at the Great War 1914-1918, written by Senior Historian Peter Burness, will be released in April 2015 and seeks to explain why the men and women of Australia did what they did during the First World War.

Behind-the-scenes documentary

As the Memorial prepares for the Centenary of the First World War, a five-episode documentary series is being produced for the History Channel (Foxtel Networks Australia). This is the largest local project the History Channel has undertaken. The series is being presented by internationally renowned historian Neil Oliver, who will take the viewers behind the scenes to explore the work being done by the Memorial in the lead up to the centenary, follow the redevelopment of the First World War Galleries, and investigate Australian military history. The series is scheduled to be broadcast for Australian audiences on the History Channel on Remembrance Day 2014.

Gallipoli 1915: a century on

The joint Australian War Memorial-Australian National University (ANU) history conference Gallipoli 1915: a century on will be held from 18 to 20 March 2015 at ANU's Llewellyn Hall. Preparations have progressed satisfactorily during the year with the finalisation of the conference program and the commencement of event logistics.

Anzac Centenary Travelling Exhibition - The spirit of Anzac: centenary experience

Within the Anzac Centenary program of activities and events announced by the government in April 2013, the flagship initiative was the Anzac Centenary Travelling Exhibition (ACTE) - The spirit of Anzac: centenary experience. The Memorial was tasked to scope the ACTE on behalf of the government and received seed funding of $10 million for the project.

A steering group comprising representatives from the Memorial and the Department of Veterans' Affairs was established in February 2014 to manage the successful delivery of the project, with meetings scheduled to align with key project milestones.

In February 2014, after a detailed tender process, an agreement was signed with Imagination (Australia) for the provision of creative direction services to the ACTE project.

Creative direction for the project was broken into three phases: discovery and scope; creative development; and blueprint/documentation. Phase one was delivered in March 2014 and phases two and three are scheduled for delivery in July and October 2014 respectively.

The final scope and form of the exhibition is subject to available funds both government and corporate.

Program 1.1 Commemorative Ceremonies

Major national ceremonies, particularly Anzac Day and Remembrance Day, and other commemorative ceremonies are conducted in an engaging, dignified, and appropriate manner, with assistance provided to organisations conducting commemorative ceremonies.

Overview

A number of significant dates and events in Australia's military history were marked with commemorative ceremonies during the reporting period. The Memorial experienced significant growth in both the number of and attendance at these ceremonies.

A rainy Remembrance Day marked the 95th anniversary of the Armistice and the 20th anniversary of the interment of the Unknown Australian Soldier in the Hall of Memory. In addition to the delivery of the Remembrance Day ceremony a bronze plaque inscribed with the poignant eulogy delivered in 1993 by the then Prime Minister, the Honourable Paul Keating, was unveiled.

On Friday 25 April 2014 the 99th anniversary of the Anzac landings were commemorated by a record number of attendees at both the Dawn Service and the National Ceremony. Images from the collection were projected onto the main building from 9 pm. Before the Dawn Service there were readings from letters and diaries written by Australians serving in conflicts over the last century. Readings included the personal reflections of Wing Commander Sharon Bown, which provided a moving insight into her experiences. Images of the 40 Australian servicemen who were killed in Afghanistan were projected onto the main building as she spoke. Family members of many of the fallen were in attendance.

The Dawn Service attracted an audience upwards of 37,000. The service was televised onto three large screens located within the grounds, ensuring the whole audience could watch the service, which included Corporal Ben Roberts-Smith VC MG providing the Commemorative Address. Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, accompanied by members of the Royal Household, also attended the Dawn Service.

The attendance of the Their Royal Highnesses at the National Ceremony attracted a large national and international media contingent. The ceremony was attended by an audience of 25,500 - an increase of 8,000 from 2013. The veterans' march was led by the four living Victoria Cross recipients and proved a highlight for both the public and the media. The march was followed by the wreathlaying ceremony and Commemorative Address delivered by the Honourable Tony Abbott MP, Prime Minister of Australia. Following the National Ceremony Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge planted a Lone Pine sapling in the western lawn of the Memorial. The sapling was grown from seeds from the tree planted at the Memorial in 1934 by the Duke of Gloucester.

The final commemorative element for the day, the Last Post Ceremony, saw Corporal Dan Keighran VC read the story of Private Thomas Anderson Whyte, 10th Battalion, who died of wounds on 25 April 1915.

Other commemorative activities

Additions to the Roll of Honour

In a private ceremony held on Remembrance Day the names of two servicemen who lost their lives while serving in Afghanistan, Corporal Scott Smith and Corporal Cameron Baird VC MG, were added to the Roll of Honour. Family members and Defence personnel were in attendance The partner of Private Nathanael Galagher, who was not able to attend the service in 2012 when Private Galagher's name was added to the roll, also attended the ceremony with her parents and son.

Operational Service Remembrance Ceremony

In March 2013 the Council of the Australian War Memorial determined that all Australian Defence Force personnel killed while on operational service, including those on some non-warlike operations, would be included on the Memorial's Roll of Honour

On Friday 30 August 2013 a ceremony adding the names of the 48 servicemen and servicewomen killed on operational and non-warlike operational service was held in the Commemorative Area and was attended by family, friends, and Defence personnel.

VIP visits

The Memorial conducted over 90 VIP visits, including the visit by Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and four visits by a head of state or head of government. These visits included His Excellency Mr Taur Matan Ruak, President of the Democratic Republic of Timor Leste, The Right Honourable John Key, Prime Minister of New Zealand, Mr Zoran Milanovic, Prime Minister of Croatia, and His Excellency Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam, President of the Republic of Singapore, and Mrs Mary Yam.

A complete list of VIP visits and ceremonies is provided at Appendix 4.

OUTPUT 1.2 The National Memorial and Grounds

The Memorial building and grounds are conserved and developed as a national memorial to Australians who served and died at war.

Overview

In addition to the Roll of Honour and Hall of Memory, the surrounding grounds are maintained as an important commemorative area. The review of the Campbell Site Development Plan completed in November 2011 identified future plaque and memorial locations. A memorial to war correspondents is planned for one of the identified locations in the western precinct and several options for the placement of Large Technology Objects in the grounds are being considered.

Enhancements to the Roll of Honour, including the addition of the names of those killed on operational service, have been implemented. The Hall of Memory has also undergone some enhancement for the twentieth anniversary of the entombment of the Unknown Australian Soldier. The soundscape and lighting projections projects, centred on the First World War Roll of Honour, are close to delivery Heritage impact assessments were undertaken to ensure all proposed enhancements in the Commemorative Area are in alignment with the Memorial's Heritage Management Plan.

Other Related Activities

Plaque Dedication Program

Renewed interest in the program by unit associations resulted in an additional eight plaques being installed during the year, bringing the total number of unit plaques installed in the Memorial's grounds to 210. There are currently 13 plaque positions remaining. A further three plaques are expected to be installed by the end of December 2014,

Roll of Honour

The Memorial's bronze Roll of Honour panels were updated for accuracy, with a number of in-situ amendments being made to the panels. The Afghanistan panel was recast to include an additional two names.

Three bronze panels to include those who died on operational service were installed on the south-east wall of the cloisters. To facilitate the inclusion of these panels, the "Post-45" and "Current Conflicts" panels were relocated to the eastern wall to follow on from the Second World War panels.

OUTPUT 1.3 The National Collection

A national collection of historical material related to Australia's military history that is developed, managed, preserved, and interpreted to make it accessible.

Overview

The major achievements for all areas of the National Collection branch focused on developing, conserving, and documenting the collection, particularly in relation to First World War and Afghanistan conflicts, as well as ensuring that all sections are positioned to respond flexibly and quickly to the increase in centenary-related activity

Major acquisitions and commissions were made in all priority areas of the Collection Development Policy. Art acquisitions included two significant donations - the first over 400 works of art by William Edwin Pidgeon, and the second, a rare collection of wartime work by renowned painter John Brack. The acquisition program for military heraldry and technology focused on current conflicts, particularly working with the Collection Coordination Group to ensure objects selected on curatorial visits to the Middle East Area of Operations were secured on the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan. The Memorial's collection of significant gallantry medals from across all conflicts was enhanced by the acquisition of the Victoria Cross and medal group of Warrant Officer Class 2 Keith Payne VC OAM, and the Victoria Cross, Military Medal, and campaign medals of Sergeant Stan McDougall VC. Ten silver gelatine vintage prints relating to activities of Turkish forces during the First World War and a hand-drawn map by Tom Oswald Butcher of the Lone Pine trenches dated 28 November 1915 were key additions to the photographic and Research Centre collections respectively.

The purchase of a large freezer container and state-of-the-art anoxic equipment has allowed a ten-fold increase in effective pest-eradication capabilities. The conservation of the dioramas for the First World War Galleries was completed to an extremely high standard. The Digital Asset Management System reached 100 terabytes of storage which will increase significantly with the ingestion of digital film content as the next priority. Procurement for additional storage is underway

Along with developing, conserving, and documenting the collection, increasing access and broadening visitor engagement was a key focus for the Memorial over the past year. Anzac voices features treasures from the Memorial's archives, bringing, in the words of the Anzacs, vivid descriptions of the horrific conditions they found themselves in on Gallipoli and the Western Front. The HMT Devanha lifeboat used in the Gallipoli landings was installed in the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne. Reality in flames: modern Australian art and the Second World War is the first exhibition dedicated exclusively to exploring how Australian modernist artists responded creatively to the Second World War. The exhibition consists of 90 works of art drawn from the Australian War Memorial's collection: taken together, they constitute one of the most diverse and comprehensive collections of modern Australian art relating to war. A new range of public programs was developed to engage audiences with the role of art within the commemorative context. Visitor engagement was strengthened by curator and artist floor talks, behind-the-scenes tours of collection storage areas, public viewings of objects and works of art, and delivering curriculum-based learning materials in partnership with the ABC educational website SPLASH!

Other Collection Activities

Documentation

Documentation has focused on supporting the First World War Galleries redevelopment through research and enhancement of records associated with the forthcoming displays. Curators have also researched and updated records in response to other centenary activities such as the travelling exhibition and the outgoing loans program.

Major projects included documentation of the First World War sketchbook collection, over 400 William Pidgeon works, and documentation of new acquisitions. Documentation enhancements were completed for Reality in flames: modern Australian art and the Second World War. The physical relocation of the medal store in response to renovations of the Administration Building prompted the upgrading of over 4,000 medal and badge records in order to enable a smooth and efficient transfer to their new location. Documentation was improved for over 50 new private records selected for Anzac connections.

Over 1,500 new catalogue records were created for published collection records, including maps and books, and almost 200 records were enhanced. Over 3,100 official records were enhanced on RecordSearch and almost 170 new private records collections were catalogued, with more than 1,100 amendments made to collection records. The Memorial has a collection of over 130 official e-series panoramic photographs from the First World War. The documentation of these photographs - as well as their multiple versions, which are in a variety of formats (prints, negatives, and positive) - was completed and enhanced.

Curatorial activities

Curatorial activity focused on making the collection accessible through exhibitions, events, enquiries, and publications. Staff contributed to the redevelopment of the First World War Galleries, and to the new Anzac voices, Salute: Canberra's military heritage, and Afghanistan: the Australian story exhibitions. The travelling exhibitions Ben Quilty: after Afghanistan and Reality in flames: modern Australian art and the Second World War were on tour while a war art exhibition for the Embassy of Australia in Washington and a propaganda poster exhibition were in development during the year. Significant additions to the Hall of Valour, such as the uniform of Corporal Ben Roberts-Smith VC MG, and the M4 rifle used by Corporal Cameron Baird VC MG, were undertaken.

The ever-popular Big things in store in September 2013 and a large number of curator-conducted tours provided visitors with access to the collection stored at the Treloar complex in Mitchell. Public programs such as gallery talks, curator-led exhibition tours and public viewings of the collection also provided many opportunities for public interaction. Staff also worked on a number of external displays, including forthcoming exhibits at the Museum of Australian Democracy and the installation of almost 40 works of art at Parliament House in Canberra.

Requests for curatorial advice by external parties seeking to develop centenary exhibitions increased significantly during 2013-14. Additionally, curators of art managed 14 major artistic commissions due to be delivered in 2014-15, including three new diorama backdrops, two public sculptures, and a commemorative print portfolio featuring the work of ten Australian and New Zealand artists. Official war artists commissioned by the Memorial often take photographs to assist them to create their works of art when they return to Australia. The photographs team has added to the National Collection over 360 digital photographs taken by Ben Quilty in Afghanistan, Tony Albert in the Northern Territory, Jon Cattapan in the Solomon Islands and eX de Medici on Bougainville. Public engagement with the Memorial's film collection increased significantly as it is being made available online either through the Memorial's website or as part of the curatorial-selected films uploaded to the Memorial's YouTube channel. One documentary produced by official cinematographer John Martinkus, Afghanistan: the Australian experience -Tarin Kot, has had over 21,000 views since it was uploaded in 2013.

Conservation - preservation activities

Conservation projects have focussed on conserving and installing items for Afghanistan: the Australian story and Anzac voices, and have participated in the packing of travelling exhibitions such as Reality in flames: modern Australian art and the Second World War Conservation and preparatory work for the First World War Galleries continued to be the focus, and significant onsite dioramas work was carried out.

The majority of the negatives for the Vignacourt photographic collection were cleaned and stabilised in preparation for scanning. The retrieval and preparation of acetate and nitrate negatives for online sales increased considerably, and over 35,000 negatives from the NAVYC and NAVYG series were re-housed, with 5,000 negatives tested for film base. The Textiles, Paintings and Paper labs prepared many objects for loan, with a particularly large number of paintings being prepared for government departments. A highlight of this project was the installation in Parliament House of George Lambert's Anzac, the landing 1915.

Research and acquisition of parts and other materials was undertaken for historical objects selected for display in the First World War Galleries, including the 4.5-inch howitzer, 18-pounder gun and numerous smaller items such as uniforms. The collection of over 130 official e-series panoramic photographs from the First World War was rehoused into new storage cupboards specifically designed for large-format objects.

Digital preservation of the archive continues, with over 38,201 preservation images of archival documents scanned for preservation. These include collections for the Anzac connections project and for Naval reports of proceedings. Conservation of physical collection items included approximately 43 shelf-metres of official records, over 240 private records manuscript collections and almost 2,000 published ephemera collections reviewed, documented, and rehoused in appropriate archival storage.

OUTPUT 1.4 Exhibitions

Development and maintenance of the Memorial's permanent and temporary exhibitions and a program of travelling exhibitions

Overview

While the development of permanent exhibitions focused on the redevelopment of the First World War Galleries, the other major permanent exhibition development was Afghanistan: the Australian story, which was officially launched on 6 August 2012 by the Honourable Kevin Rudd MP, then Prime Minister of Australia.

Information about the progress of the redevelopment of the First World War Galleries can be found in the section dedicated to projects relating to the Centenary of the First World War on page 19.

To maintain the high standard of exhibition presentation, collection items are continually maintained and regularly changed over, including a series of small display changeovers in the Orientation Gallery, the Courtyard Gallery, and the Link Gallery.

With the galleries' focus on providing visitors with cutting-edge multimedia interpretive experiences, the Memorial's audiovisual team continues to work to a seven-day-per-week roster to ensure that the audio-visual presentations run at optimum levels.

The Travelling Exhibitions Program funded by the Department of Veterans' Affairs continued to be the Memorial's major access and outreach activity. In 2013-14 the program fulfilled its mandate to provide people living outside of Canberra with access to the National Collection, by touring six travelling exhibitions to at least one venue in each state and territory.

Other Exhibition Activities

Temporary exhibition

The First World War exhibition Anzac voices opened on 29 November 2013, and will remain on display in the Special Exhibitions Gallery until 30 November 2014. It has provided an important First World War presence at the Memorial while the permanent galleries are closed for redevelopment. The exhibition features treasures from the Memorial's archives, presenting the stories of some of the Anzacs through their diaries and letters. These include the personal stories of Captain Charles Bean, Lieutenant General Sir William Birdwood, Major General Sir William Bridges, Sister Alice Ross-King, Private Douglas Grant, Private John Simpson Kirkpatrick, Sir Ian Hamilton, Major Frederick Tubb and General Sir John Monash. These are the stories of their experiences in their own words that reveal the harsh realities of war and their secret hopes and fears.

Bring in your memorabilia program

Developed in 1999, this program continues to increase public awareness of Australia's military heritage and to assist individuals with the identification and preservation of items which may be in their care.

The Department of Veterans' Affairs funds this successful program, which is run in conjunction with the Memorial's travelling exhibitions. No Bring in Your memorabilia events were taken up by travelling exhibition venues in 2013-14.

OUTPUT 1.5 Interpretive Services

Understanding of Australia's experience of war is enhanced through provision of interactive interpretation, including school and public education programs and public events.

Overview

During the reporting period the Memorial has developed and delivered a variety of interpretive programs reaching a range of onsite and offsite audiences.

In 2013-14 more than 194,000 people engaged in the Memorial's interpretive programs and events. These activities invited new audiences to engage with the Memorial, highlighted the National Collection, and provided opportunities for audiences to participate in the operations and activities of the Memorial. As well as the ever popular one-day opening of the Memorial's storage area at Mitchell, Big things in store, new programs were introduced, including the Of animals in war day.

Of particular note in new programming was the introduction of the Soldiers in Residence Program. Working with the Australian Army Directorate of Army Health (DAH), the pilot program allowed current serving Afghanistan wounded or ill soldiers to play a role in delivering to the public during the initial launch period of the exhibition Afghanistan: the Australian story.

Following the success of the initial Soldiers in Residence Program a further three rotations have been undertaken. The program allows serving soldiers to familiarise themselves with both front- and back-of-house operations at the Memorial, engaging in commemoration and collection preservation while also providing Memorial staff with exposure to aspects of the Australian Defence Force's culture and practices. In addition to these benefits, the program provided members of the public with a rich and engaging experience.

Other Interpretive Activities

Education

In addition to engagement in learning activities ranging from the Discovery Zone, an experiential learning area, to facilitated education programs, visiting school students also increasingly participated in commemorative ceremonies. Over 400 students attended the 2013 Remembrance Day National Ceremony, with 102 students participating in the poppy-laying component of the program. Eighty-five students attended the 2014 Anzac Day National Ceremony including 12 who travelled all the way from Christmas Island to be here on the day.

Students have become active participants in the daily Last Post Ceremonies by laying wreaths.

In collaboration with the History Teachers' Association of Australia and the Department of Veterans' Affairs, the Education team researched, developed, and hosted online the 2014 Simpson Prize question. This First World War-themed national essay-writing competition is for secondary students. Links to relevant source material from the Memorial's collection were provided to assist students with their research and writing. An Education team member accompanied winning students from each state on a guided battlefield tour as part of their two-week trip to Gallipoli around Anzac Day 2014.

The second publication in the Century of Service series, Audacity: stories of heroic Australians in wartime, was developed by Education and published in collaboration with the Department of Veterans' Affairs in March 2014. The first book in the series, Devotion: stories of Australia's wartime nurses (published in 2013), was shortlisted as a Notable Book in the Children's Book Council of Australia Book of the Year Awards in May 2014.

Education delivered five professional development sessions throughout the year to 70 school teachers and librarians. The aim of these programs is to equip teachers to use the Memorial's collection and historical content in the classroom.

OUTPUT 1.6 Promotions and Community Services

Promotion of the Memorial as an outstanding national institution, and assistance given to the community to understand the Memorial's roles, activities, programs, relevance, and future

Overview

The Memorial continues its integrated marketing campaigns to ensure it disseminates information to its core audience as well as continuing to promote to non-core audiences. The Memorial endeavours to appeal to all ages within the wider Australian community and to assist the Australian public in understanding the impact of war on our society.

The launch of the Memorial's First World War centenary brand and program received national media coverage and positioned the Memorial as the centre of commemorative activities for the 2014-18 period.

Remembrance Day and Anzac Day at the Memorial were covered nationally by all major media outlets. Anzac Day included live crosses with a majority of the major television networks. The visit by Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge increased media coverage for Anzac Day. There were over 3,730 media items over the period 21-27 April, giving a total audience reach of 81.9 million and a total advertising space rate (ASR) of $22.3 million. On Anzac Day there were just over 1,460 items, with a total audience reach of 41.5 million and a total ASR of $14.3 million.

Other Promotion and Community Services Activities

Friends of the Memorial

Friends of the Memorial is the Memorial's membership loyalty program, offering a range of benefits and members-only events. Memberships are available to individuals, families, clubs, and organisations. In August 2013 bi-annual memberships were introduced, with a discount for Friends who renewed for the two-year period. The program has continued to expand, with approximately 1,700 active members, an increase of seven per cent from June 2013.

The Friends program ran a number of events in conjunction with Anzac Day and Remembrance Day along with a series of new events, including military history coach tours, white glove tours, and a trivia evening. These events attracted an average attendance of 38 Friends each. The events with the highest attendance were Anzac Day and Remembrance Day, and an exclusive opening of Afghanistan: the Australian story hosted by Dr Brendan Nelson and ABC journalist Chris Masters was the third most highly attended. Friends across Australia were also invited to the Memorial's travelling exhibitions: Perspectives: Jon Cattapan and eX de Medici, Remember me: the lost diggers of Vignacourt, Ben Quilty: after Afghanistan, Nurses: from Zululand to Afghanistan, Reality in flames, and Shaun Gladwell: Afghanistan.

Social media

Social media continues to grow and is an increasingly fundamental part of the Memorial's approach to marketing communications.

This year saw an increased use of social media in the Memorial's integrated marketing and communication strategies, with overwhelmingly positive results.

Highlights include achieving the milestone of over 40,000 followers on Facebook. In April 2014 Facebook posts reached over one million people. The Memorial has received over 2,300,000 total views of our photographs on Flickr and over 390,000 views in April 2014 alone.

The continued increase in followers and, more importantly, in interactions across all the social media sites used by the Memorial indicates a strong interest from the public in using these sites to keep in contact with the Memorial and its activities, and as a way to discover and to share information.

OUTPUT 1.7 Research, Information, and Dissemination

The conduct and stimulation of historical research and dissemination of knowledge and understanding of Australia's military history.

Overview

A wide range of research and dissemination activities were undertaken during the year, including digitisation of private records in the Research Centre, publication of curatorial and military history books and articles, media broadcasts, individual research projects, family history workshops, and the provision of military history information and research assistance.

Research Centre database migration

In December 2013, as part of the Anzac connections project, the Memorial completed the successful integration of two major databases with the migration of over two million Research Centre Database records. This represents a major efficiency for the Memorial as it is no longer supporting two separate databases. The integration has also provided the platform to link all the digitised collections and people data and manage it better into the future.

Data clean-up continues as a result of the integration. The Anzac connections project uses the data to publish to the web a clean set of place, conflict, and Australian military unit data. The successful migration of the data onto the same platform is the beginning of the project's ability to publish and interlink structured data on the web so it is more extractable and usable.

Other Research Activities

Family history outreach

The Research Centre continues to offer an outreach training program for researching family history. The workshops focus on how to use the collections and services of the Australian War Memorial and other institutional collections that relate to Australian military service to help researchers discover their family's military service story. This financial year has seen visits to Bega and Inverell, and talks delivered at the Heraldry and Genealogy Society of Canberra and the Australian National University.

Honour rolls

A variety of research tasks were undertaken in support of the ongoing administration of the Roll of Honour and the Commemorative Roll. These tasks included investigations into new cases for inclusion on the rolls, the amendment or improvement of existing data and information, research in support of policy development, and responding to both specific and general enquiries from government and the public.

OUTPUT 1.8 Visitor Services

Visitors to the Memorial and its outreach programs are provided with a standard of service that enhances their experience and encourages them to return and promote others to visit

Overview

The world-class visitor experience provided at the Australian War Memorial was recognised on 18 June 2014 by travel website TripAdvisor, which announced that the Memorial had been ranked number one in the 2014 Travellers' Choice awards for landmarks in Australia and the South Pacific.

The team that provides the Front of House visitor services consists of paid full-time, part-time, and casual staff, together with a dedicated group of volunteers. Their commitment to service excellence ensured that visitors received a meaningful, professional, and engaging experience at the Memorial.

Visitor satisfaction is also formally measured by survey results, which indicated a 99 per cent satisfaction rate. Appreciation of the level of service provided is also demonstrated by the many comments and complimentary letters received each year; an example follows.

Dear Madam/Sir

I visited the Australian War Memorial last Thursday and would like to provide you with some feedback on my experience as it relates to the customer service offered by your staff on that day.

I was welcomed warmly by a staff member at the top of the main stairs at the entrance. This person (I do not recall her name) could see that I knew where I wanted to go so did not seek to direct me further, which I was impressed with. I was then welcomed to the AWM again by helpful staff at the cloaking desk. Again, the welcome was genuine and polished. As I moved through the galleries, if I hesitated for a small period of time or seemed to be looking for something, a staff member would immediately approach and ask if I needed assistance. As I moved into each new space I was acknowledged - always friendly, always discreet.

I must commend your staff for their attentiveness, friendliness and general approach to A WM visitors. It made a very enjoyable visit even better.

Thankyou.

Regards,

Other Visitor Services Activities

Volunteer services

Volunteers at the Memorial continued to make an important contribution, with over 230 people volunteering their time, skills, and expertise to support both front-of-house services and projects in curatorial and conservation areas. This year the administration of the Memorial volunteers moved from Visitor Services to the Human Resources section.

The volunteers' level of service and dedication is gratefully acknowledged and the Memorial continued to provide structured and ongoing training together with regular information and development sessions.

At the Front of House, the voluntary guides delivered 12 free highlight tours each day for general visitors, as well as many conducted and VIP tours for visiting groups and dignitaries throughout the year.

The Memorial's volunteers also helped the public gain access to family history information and engage with family and student visitors in the Discovery Zone.

Volunteer veterans participated in the Memorial school wreathlaying program, engaging with students about their service experiences. This successful program enhanced understanding of commemoration for the participating school groups.

INTERNAL OUTPUTS

Internal outputs contribute to the achievement of all Memorial external outputs.

OUTPUT 1.9 Corporate Governance

The Council of the Australian War Memorial provides a strategic framework of policy and direction that guides the achievement of the Memorial's outcome.

In accordance with its planned schedule, the full Council and the Finance, Audit and Compliance Committee each met four times during the year. The Remuneration and Corporate Support committees each met once.

The Chair of the Council and the Director provided a briefing to the Minister after each meeting. The Memorial's senior management team also met with senior representatives of the Department of Veterans' Affairs to discuss matters of business relevant to both parties.

Through the Council and committee meeting process, detailed papers and recommendations from the Memorial's management were presented. The major considerations and decisions undertaken by Council related to:

• monitoring of progress associated with the redevelopment of the First World War Galleries:
• development of a broader program of events related to the Centenary of the First World War:
• progress in relation to the Official History of Peacekeeping Operations:
• proposed changes resulting from the Commonwealth Financial Accountability Framework Review and the potential impacts on the Memorial; and
• the Memorial's parking arrangements in response to the proposed introduction of paid parking on national land.

PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) continued as the Memorial's Internal Auditor. Members of the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) and PWC attended each of the committee meetings. A program of audits was approved by Council for the 2012-13 financial year and the outcomes of reviews undertaken were presented at each meeting.

After each Council meeting the Minister was briefed by the Chair of the Council and the Director

In accordance with terms of reference, Council reviewed its performance in August 2014 via a survey completed by Council members, the Director, and senior management. Overall, the results of the review indicate that performance of Council during 2013-14 was highly satisfactory or more, with 18 of the 20 criteria achieving an average score of four out of five or above.

Council membership changes during the year included the completion of terms for Air Vice-Marshal Julie Hammer AM CSC (Retd), Ms Jane McAloon, and Mr Kevin Woods CSC OAM, and the appointments of Mr Les Carlyon AC and Ms Jillian Segal AM from 12 and 19 June 2014 respectively. Both the new appointments are for a period of three years.

Air Vice-Marshal Julie Hammer AM CSC (Retd) continued as Chair of the Finance, Audit and Compliance Committee until the end of her term in April 2014. Major General Paul Stevens AO (Retd) accepted the position in her place and Ms Gabrielle Trainor accepted a position on the Remuneration Committee following Air Vice-Marshal Hammer's departure.

Details of Council members are included in Appendices 1 and 2.

OUTPUT 1.10 Executive Strategic Management

Effective leadership and management of the Memorial in accordance with the requirements of the Australian War Memorial Act 1980.

Executive Leadership

The Memorial's executive leadership and management framework includes a Corporate Management Group (CMG), which consists of the Director and three Assistant Directors, and a Senior Management Group (SMG), which consists of all section heads and members of CMG.

CMG meets weekly and considers a wide range of matters brought forward either by its members or via papers from section heads. Monthly reports are presented to monitor performance against the approved Business Plan, as well as to review management of any identified business risks. The CFO presents a set of financial statements on a regular basis and is able to provide independent and direct advice to senior management. A Centenary Funding Reserve has been established to provide for additional staffing resources needed to deliver and support programs associated with the centenary period and to respond to the increase in demands for information about the collection and personal records of servicemen and servicewomen. Funding from the general appropriation is being quarantined for this purpose. A number of new positions were established and staff engaged for the duration of specific project periods during 2013-14.

As a result of a number of new initiatives to support both changes in corporate priorities and programs associated with the centenary period, enhanced project management was a key resource requirement. Additional professional project managers have been recruited to ensure a coordinated and cross-Memorial approach to project delivery is achieved.

The Information Management Steering Group (IMSG) meets monthly and is key to determining the strategic direction of Information Management, ICT, and web initiatives. This area of business continues to grow and underpins many of the Memorial's corporate objectives. The prioritisation of available resources is a major focus of IMSG. In recognition of the Memorial's increasing reliance on and investment in technology for the delivery of information and services, an Enterprise Architecture review was commissioned to provide a clear understanding of the information and communications technology (ICT) requirements for the Memorial to meet its stated objectives, and to identify priority areas for further ICT investment from available resources.

A wide range of statistical information is collated and presented on a monthly basis to access trends across business activities. Where possible, comparatives are also provided against the performances of other collecting institutions.

Planning continued during the year for the forthcoming First World War centenaries in 2014-18. Council has endorsed in principle a range of projects, in particular those focused on the Gallipoli anniversary. The major project being undertaken is the redevelopment of the First World War Galleries. In addition to $1.7 million in seed funding, a further $27 million has been provided by government for this purpose.

Dedicated efforts continued to secure corporate sponsorship support. A number of corporate sector partnerships have either been secured or are in the process of being negotiated. These include significant long-term partnerships with existing supporters Boeing, BAE Systems, and Qantas. The De Lambert Largesse Foundation, National Roads and Motoring Association (NRMA), Thales, and Kingold have all partnered with the Memorial in delivering programs for visitors and students. Other opportunities are being explored with a range of individuals and corporations.

SMG also meets weekly and is a forum for the exchange of information and discussion of corporate issues. Feedback from CMG and SMG meetings is provided to all staff through weekly section meetings.

In addition to weekly CMG meetings, a Project Control Group (PCG) met monthly to monitor performance of the refurbishment of the First World War Galleries. A new Anzac Centenary Projects Steering Committee was established to monitor a number of projects associated with and delivered in the centenary period. This committee met on a monthly basis, and the focus of these meetings was to ensure that projects were being delivered in terms of their objectives, timeframe, and budget. A consistent Project Management methodology was developed and adopted for all major projects, including risk and stakeholder management.

Strategic Management

The Memorial's strategic planning framework encourages participation by all staff, promoting the concept of one team working to achieve common goals and recognising the importance of communication and ownership of decisions. Annual Business Plans and accompanying budgets are developed to support Council directions and Corporate Plan priorities. Once developed, annual Business Plans influence day-to-day operations, and achievements are monitored and reported on each month.

A review of the format and content of the Business Plan was undertaken and the results were presented to Council in May 2014. The Business Plan is now more strategic in content and better reflects the interaction of resources and teams from across the Memorial in the delivery of many programs and activities.

Risk Management and Business Continuity Planning

The Memorial's Risk Management and Fraud Control Plans for 2011-14 were implemented during the 2013-14 financial year. Identified risks were monitored across the organisation, and for all major events and activities specific risk management plans were developed in advance. Planning for emergency evacuation continued, with trial evacuations completed in all buildings several times during the year. CMC and Council received quarterly reports against the Risk Register and the Fraud Control Plan's key performance indicators.

The Memorial continued its program of desktop scenario testing with a review of its ability to respond to a site-wide power outage and severe flooding two days prior to Anzac Day 2015. Internal auditors PricewaterhouseCoopers was engaged to review and update the Business Continuity Plan.

The Memorial participated in Comcover's annual risk management benchmarking survey in 2014 and achieved a good rating of 7.5 out of 10, which was an improvement on the previous year. The Memorial reached the selected target maturity level for all the elements, and management and Council were satisfied with this result.

The Memorial continued its active participation in the Corporate Management Forum Insurance and Risk Management Working Group, believing that this network provides valuable support and information sharing.

Evaluation and Visitor Research

Evaluation

This year there has been a high volume of exhibitions, events, and programs at the main Memorial site or on tour, generating evaluation and audience research projects.

Exhibition surveys were conducted for;

• Afghanistan gallery
• Remember me: the lost diggers of Vignacourt
• Salute: Canberra's military heritage exhibition
• Anzac voices exhibition

Event surveys were conducted for;

• Big things in store
• Of animals in war ceremony and family day

Performance surveys were conducted for

• General visitor survey
• Catering performance

Audience research assisting program development was conducted for;

• Reality in flames: modern Australian art and the Second World War
• Guided tour program

The opening of the Afghanistan gallery was an exciting exhibition development and surveys were conducted from its first day open to the public. These have provided valuable insights into contemporary topics for modern audiences.

It was intended that this exhibition would provide a focal point for serving or returning Afghanistan troops, but it has also seen an unexpected level of family and friends of those who had served in Afghanistan using it to better understand the experiences of their loved ones. Of those surveyed, 15 per cent identified themselves as family or friends of members of Defence who had served or were serving in Afghanistan. Seven per cent identified themselves as an Afghanistan veteran. Reasons for wanting to see the exhibition included:

• Was in Afghanistan and wanted to see how the story was told.
• This is very contemporary and I could end up going to Afghanistan
• I served there, and wanted to show my mates about it.
• I served and wanted to show my mum and cousin.
• Son has been over there.
• Son served in Afghanistan - had two tours.
• Have two cousins in Afghanistan.
• Cousin's children served in Afghanistan.
• Live in Canungra, an army town, and worked on base. Knew many who went over.
• We'd heard about it in media and want to show the kids what's going on over there.
• Wanted to hear the stories of the soldiers posted there.
• Wanted to understand the current conflict a little bit more.
• Interested in Afghanistan war and why we are there.

The Anzac voices exhibition has been particularly successful in providing visitors a sense of the harsh conditions that the Australian troops endured during the First World War. Peter Corlett's Man in the mud sculpture display was a popular feature of the First World War Galleries prior to refurbishment and is no less evocative for our current visitors;

The man in the mud was heartbreaking.

The man in the mud put me there.

That man in the mud - I don't really know why it just stood out because it looked like we had lost all hope.

An exit survey was conducted for all temporary exhibitions at the Memorial this year. These surveys consistently ask our visitors to rate the quality of the exhibition, and the Memorial's exhibitions typically achieve a combined "very good" and "good" rating - the two highest - of just over 90 per cent. Remember me: lost diggers of Vignacourt was a stand-out this past financial year, attaining a total of 98 per cent "good" or "very good" ratings, with 83 per cent of this total in ranking it "very good".

Visitation

Larger attendance-counting teams comprising staff volunteers assisted with the Memorial's three major days this year. Anzac Day had increased attendances but Remembrance Day was lower in November 2013 due to bitter cold and rain.

Visitation at the Memorial's Big things in store event in September increased again to an estimated 4,800 people. Evaluation of this event provided useful demographic information: once again the audience was predominantly male (62 per cent), with 81 per cent coming out of general interest as part of a family group. For 70 per cent of the respondents this was their first attendance at this event.

The Memorial's existing automated people-counter at the main entrance was upgraded with new equipment and improved reporting software from Beonic Technologies. The upgrade includes thermal sensors at the entrances to the Afghanistan gallery and Special Exhibitions Gallery, improving the means and speed by which attendance reporting is completed.

OUTPUT 1.11 Resource Management

Management of the Memorial's buildings and grounds, and its financial, human, and general service resources to the best advantage of external outputs.

Buildings and Services

Buildings

Energy management continues to be a priority for the Memorial, and technical initiatives undertaken in the last financial year have maintained efficient energy consumption on the site. The refinement of the control strategy for building climate control is ongoing, with emphasis still on managing temperature and humidity parameters to efficiently meet the needs of both material conservation and energy efficiency. Electrical sub-meters in the Main Building have been connected to the Building Management System (BMS) to enable a proactive response to consumption spikes. A number of Main Building gas sub-meters have been pulse-enabled to allow for remote read and connection to the BMS. Further sub-meters are expected to be progressively added.

Planning for the Mitchell precinct's capacity for increased storage of the collection continued in 2013-14. The plan considers the precinct footprint and the functioning of the facility, and outlines options for staged new development and the renovation and/or extension of existing buildings. Additional land and buildings (Treloar E) adjacent to existing Memorial facilities at Mitchell became available in 2011. The Memorial's three-year lease agreement on this property ends 30 June 2014, and the Memorial is exercising its option to purchase the land on 1 July 2014.

An accommodation and storage redevelopment master plan was developed to deliver much-needed additional meeting, storage, and office space across the all Memorial Buildings. The final stages of the accommodation review were implemented throughout the financial year. Work included refurbishment of a large area of the Administration Building to enable a number of staff to be accommodated in an open plan office environment and create new spaces for National Collection donation assessments and transit. Kitchens and break-out spaces (initially developed in 1988) were also upgraded.

The upgrade of the air conditioning and main switchboards for the Enrico Taglietti-designed Annex A building has now been fully installed, with fine-tuning of new equipment and practical completion expected in June 2014. The mechanical and electrical design and documentation respects the Commonwealth heritage criteria of the building.

A range of general building and infrastructure initiatives have also been undertaken, including additional three-phase power and data being installed throughout the Campbell precinct to better accommodate media requirements for large-scale events such as Anzac Day. Also completed were upgrades to car park signage and line marking, a new drainage system for the Bomber Command memorial, and a review of fire extinguishers. The review and installation of roof-height safety systems across all the Memorial buildings has also commenced.

Significant services support continues for centenary projects, including the First World War Galleries' refurbishment, sound and projection initiatives, and enhancements to the Last Post Ceremony webcam and public address systems.

Grounds

Grounds maintenance contracts are managed effectively to ensure outstanding grounds presentation at all times. A specialist gardener is contracted for garden maintenance of the Commemorative Area, the eastern precinct, and the memorials and sculptures throughout the western precinct to ensure these locations are presented at a high standard.

This year, landscaping enhancements have been completed at the entrance of the Main Building including Lonicera nitida hedges and the introduction of additional bins, resulting in an aesthetically pleasing and functional entry for visitors. The Western Courtyard was subject to major landscaping upgrades in order for the Memorial's Lighting Masterplan to be implemented. Irrigation systems were also replaced in all new planted areas, in addition to the installation of wire netting in the raised garden beds to minimise rabbit inhabitation.

Security (incl. emergency planning)

Compliance with the new Protective Security Policy Framework has been an ongoing focus for the Memorial. Liaison with the Australian Federal Police (AFP) occurs for all high-profile visits and events. The Memorial has a strong, positive working relationship with the AFP ACT Policing for coordination, and policing, the Memorial's high-profile events and ceremonies such as Anzac Day and Remembrance Day.

Enhanced security systems were implemented for access and control of the National Collection, including new audit and reporting capability.

All security staff completed a Certificate II in Security Operations, which standardised the team's knowledge and greatly improved understanding of the latest legislation and security practices and procedures.

The Emergency Planning Committee met four times, and the planning for and conduction of emergency evacuation drills for all Memorial buildings has continued. The initiative to standardise Emergency Warning and Intercommunication System (EWIS) tones across all Memorial buildings to the latest standard was completed. This has assisted with fire warden training and with the building occupants' ability to clearly understand emergency evacuation messages.

Workshop services

The Memorial's workshop supports a wide range of Memorial activities. Work this year included trades support for the Anzac voices exhibition and the installation of the Love and war travelling exhibition interstate. Workshop staff have also been actively involved in the relocation of the First World War dioramas and their backgrounds, and the demounting of existing First World War exhibitions. The workshop has also assisted with a range of building works, preparations for ceremonies, gallery maintenance and general building and grounds maintenance works.

Records management:

Following the rollout of the updated SharePoint system, the Records Management unit's primary function was reconfigured to that of a mail room, with mail being scanned to SharePoint, and the retrieval and rehousing of paper files. Pressure on the records management storage facility at Campbell has been alleviated by the transfer of seldom-accessed records to the Treloar D storage facility.

Finance

Financial planning and monitoring

The Memorial has a well-established internal budget development and management process, which includes oversight of a number of components to ensure corporate priorities are funded to an appropriate level. Many new projects and activities related to the Centenary of the First World War were funded from an internal reserve, with potential allocations forecast over several years to ensure adequate resourcing during the commemorative period.

Funding strategies were also developed for a range of capital projects planned over the next ten years, including National Collection storage, gallery refurbishments, building works, site development, software upgrades, and IT hardware replacement.

The Memorial continues to work closely with its onsite functions and catering contractor to maximise exposure and ensure the ongoing success of our popular visitor and corporate event facilities.

Regular financial reporting to management, Council, and the Department of Finance during the year included Memorial-wide financial results, budget review and analysis, cash balance reporting, capital management planning, and commercial operations.

The Memorial's land and buildings were formally revalued during 2013-14, resulting in a net increase in fair value of $16.9 million.

Financial policy

The Chief Finance Officer (CFO) continued to participate in the development of whole-of-government reforms through attendance at formal working groups and developing input to key discussion papers.

In particular, extensive feedback was provided in relation to the proposed rules applicable under the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013 (PGPA Act). The Memorial's position was presented to the Joint Committee of Public Affairs and Audit inquiry into the development of the PGPA Rules, and will continue to be represented throughout the ongoing Public Management Reform Agenda consultation process.

The CFO was also involved in activities to ensure the funding strategies for major projects and programs were achieved, including resource analysis and forecasts for the refurbishment of the First World War Galleries and projects associated with the Centenary of the First World War.

Support services and systems

The Finance section provides a range of services to support Memorial activities, including accounts payable and receivable, domestic and overseas travel arrangements, budget management, procurement advice, assets management, Fringe Benefits Tax, contracts management and superannuation advice, and investment management.

The section has a strong focus on the provision of high-quality procurement and contract advice, and a number of customised training sessions were delivered to inform staff on the key features of government policy.

Several financial management induction and training sessions were conducted throughout the year in addition to ongoing end-user financial system support services.

Finance staff undertook training in a range of areas relating to financial management and procurement, and professional staff undertook necessary training to maintain their CPA/ CA status.

Information Technology

Corporate systems

The section supports a range of IT based systems underpinning operations including administrative, collection management, public access, information, retail, and online services. There is an excellent record of high systems availability, which is achieved through dedicated attention to systems monitoring and well-planned upgrades.

Upgrade of the SharePoint-based electronic records management system was completed and the system is now recognised as being compliant with requirements set out by the National Archives of Australia. A number of workflows to automate functions such as National Collection/mixed collection tracking, loans approvals, public enquiries/advice, and travel arrangements were also implemented. Training in both records management requirements and systems operation was delivered to all staff.

A new service management application was implemented to streamline the information technology and collection management help desk functions. The same software will be leveraged to address similar needs across other internal service areas such as building services, finance, and human resources.

Technical resources supported enhancement of the website as part of the Anzac connections project and also worked to facilitate the relocation of website hosting to an external provider later in the year. There was considerable effort to streamline the flow of information from collection databases to the web.

Consolidation of databases was achieved through the migration of seven rolls of recognition to the central collection management database application, MICA. Other activities included database changes to accommodate the commemorative Anzac voices and Roll of Honour Projections projects.

Planning was progressed for the necessary upgrade of the MediaBin product, which provides for management of digital assets in the National Collection.

Network infrastructure

The section develops and maintains a modern in-house IT platform which supports the systems referred to above. Core network switching infrastructure was replaced to achieve an enterprise-wide backbone operating at greater than 10 gigabytes per second to accommodate growing needs for the transfer of greater volumes of data, particularly that related to the handling of larger digitised collection materials.

Other switches central to the connectivity of storage area networks were also replaced due to their age and a need for greater performance.

The need to converge an increasing number of IP networks was identified as part of an enterprise architecture review. A number of smaller networks such as building management were moved to the enterprise-wide IT network. Based on successful trials, other networks have potential to be added to minimise duplication of equipment and reduce management overheads.

The technical platform for webcasting of the Last Post Ceremony was bedded down and handed over to the multimedia team for day-to-day operation.

An enterprise-wide wireless network was implemented as the platform for improved data access to corporate applications. The same network will also provide appropriately segregated access for visitors to the Memorial.

Planning is well advanced for the implementation of a replacement digital preservation storage repository required to accommodate the considerable volumes of data which will be generated by film digitisation, since it can no longer be preserved through film copying.

A review of network security architecture has been initiated and will lead to replacement of network firewall equipment early in the new financial year.

In a move to address periods of peak load on the website (such as Anzac Day) some elements of the site's delivery were moved to an external hosting provider.

Strategic planning and governance

The Information Management Steering Group (IMSG) continues its oversight of information management and the application of technology-based systems. In late 2013 the IMSG initiated a review of enterprise architecture to better understand the key capabilities required to support corporate business. A number of recommendations were implemented and some ongoing work will need to be completed to inform an update of the IT Strategic Plan.

People Management

Strategic people management/workforce planning

Consistent with last year, the Memorial's People Management Strategy identifies strategic workforce priorities for the Memorial. These priorities are:

• alignment of people and our business through positive performance culture
• promoting organisational health and wellbeing
• building leadership and management capability
• attracting and retaining the right people
• encouraging innovation and agility

More recently, the introduction of a workforce planning procedure was adopted within the Memorial which will evolve and mature over the next several years. The methodology incorporates a range of steps, including strategic analysis (future state and scenario planning), forecasting (future workforce projections), workforce risk analysis, strategy development, and agreed actions and accountabilities for execution and integration into business plans.

As the Memorial is committed to building and sustaining a diverse workforce to deliver its current and future business objectives, the implementation of this process will provide the opportunity to attract, develop, and retain skilled, engaged, and committed employees.

This robust methodology will provide a clearer picture for the Memorial around the identification of critical capability gaps and allow for the adoption of tailored strategies to assist in mitigating future workforce risk. This will also lead to greater linkages and alignment with the business and budget process, recognising that they are critical to business activities to achieve the Memorial's strategic objectives.

Workforce development

The Memorial fosters a culture of professional development and enhances and supports staff expertise through a range of in-house and externally provided learning opportunities.

This year, particular emphasis was placed on enhancing capability in the areas of Project Management and Media Skills to support our staff in the lead up to the Centenary of the First World War.

To further develop our agility and resilience, the introduction of ongoing in-house programs of Resilience, Coaching, Positive Leadership, and Mental Health First Aid were implemented. These programs form part of the Memorial's Health and Wellbeing Framework.

In addition, specialist training programs, conferences, and seminars represent critical components of our learning and development strategy to support the range of expertise required within the Memorial.

In-house "Learning from Each Other" sessions were also introduced this year. This initiative provides staff with opportunities to hear, share with, and learn from their colleagues who have presented papers at conferences and seminars and to foster a learning culture.

The Memorial's Studies Assistance scheme provided support to 23 employees, enabling them to undertake formal qualifications relevant to their expertise.

People management and services

The Performance Through People Scheme continues to be an important framework for the Memorial to manage and enhance performance of our employees.

The Workplace Relations Committee met on four occasions during the year and continues as an important forum for staff consultation, including policy development.

On 15 January 2014 the Memorial took on new responsibilities under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 2013 regarding the investigation of allegations of serious wrongdoing in the Commonwealth public sector. In order to ensure compliance with this new legislation the Memorial has developed policy, procedures, training, and awareness-raising for facilitating and dealing with public interest disclosures, including the appointment and training of authorised officers and supervisors who can receive a disclosure of information.

OUTPUT 1.12 Revenue Generation

Generation of revenue in support of the Memorial's mission and purpose.

Memorial Shop

• Shop revenue of $1,783,496 was achieved against a target of $1,605,000. The net profit for the Memorial Shop was $288,149 before notional overhead costs.
• Key indicators of Shop performance are the average transaction value ($20.12), the number of Shop transactions (80,938), and the overall profit margin (54 per cent). While the transaction value and number of transactions were both higher than last year, the profit margin was slightly less due to high-volume sales of key products with relatively low margins.
• The suite of Memorial souvenir publications continued to perform well. The Australian War Memorial guide, A place to remember, and Hall of Memory are sold in both the Orientation Gallery and the Memorial Shop. The Australian War Memorial guide is both a handbook for the galleries and an attractive memento, and generated $48,287 in revenue.
• The Shop supported a number of new publications and events, including the launch of The good international citizen: Australian peacekeeping in Asia, Africa and Europe, 1991-1993 by David Horner and John Connor.
• A range of centenary merchandise was developed for sale in the Shop and online. This range includes items developed exclusively for the Memorial as well as items produced under license with other suppliers (for instance, the Royal Australian Mint and Australia Post). The centenary range includes:
• souvenirs (e.g. baseball caps, keyrings, mugs etc.)
• branded centenary clothing range
• circulating and non-circulating coins commemorating key events in Australian military history
• 2015 centenary calendars featuring First World War photographs and recruitment posters.

e-Business

The Memorial's e-business revenue of $1,477,131 was 60 per cent above target. This revenue is a combination of:

• costs associated with reproductions from the National Collection
• user fees associated with commercial use of the material
• the value of charges waived where the material is used for educational, private, or commemorative purposes
• Shop products sold online.

The anticipated growth of centenary-related activities resulted in a significant increase in the value of the corporate waivers granted, and a rise in revenue from costs associated with collection reproductions. There was a decrease in online sales of Shop products, due in part to the lack of major new publications. (New releases during 2014-15 should see a rise in online sales.)

The Online Shop sells a range of books and merchandise Popular items included the Ben Quilty: after Afghanistan exhibition catalogue, a First World War recruiting poster set, and Anzacs on the Western Front: the Australian War Memorial battlefield guide.

Marketing activities included email newsletter campaigns, promotions via the Shop's Facebook page, an educational resources brochure sent to all schools, printed flyers sent out with eBusiness orders, and advertising through Wartime magazine.

OUTPUT 1.13 Team Management

Sections/teams are managed and administered to achieve Memorial outputs and foster equity, teamwork, and open communication.

This is a common output across the Memorial and recognises the promotion of teamwork to achieve corporate priorities. The new Perform scheme is a key strategy for ensuring individual work plans are aligned with Business Plan activities.

Weekly senior management and section meetings continue to provide the vehicle for effective communication across the Memorial. All-staff meetings are held periodically to provide updates from senior management on key strategic issues and major project developments. More specialist committees, such as Workplace Relations, Work Health and Safety, Exhibition Planning, Emergency Planning and Evacuation, Publications Planning, Environment and Energy, and Information Management, are essential forums for addressing cross-branch matters of importance.

The Memorial's Employee Assistance Program, which provides counselling and support to staff and immediate family members, was used by a small number of staff. The majority of matters referred to this service were not of a work-related nature.

Staff and management contributed to and/or participated in community programs through fund-raising activities.

An indicator of the effectiveness of teamwork at the Memorial is the willingness of staff to contribute to major events such as Anzac Day and Remembrance Day. The contribution made by staff here is very much appreciated and is fundamental to the success of these important days, which are in themselves good for building teamwork across the organisation.

The dedication shown by staff and their commitment to achieving corporate priorities as approved in the Business Plan are very much appreciated by senior management and Council.