Planning the Memorial of the future
Officially opened in 1941, the Australian War Memorial is an iconic building of national significance. Located in line of sight of Australian Parliament House, the Memorial reminds the nation of the cost of war, and the effects of service. More than 1 million people visit us every year to honour the service of our defence force personnel and learn about their experiences in war, peacekeeping, and humanitarian operations.
Seventy-five years on, the time has come to modernise and redevelop the Memorial to ensure we can continue to share stories of remembrance, and the Australian experience of war, for generations to come.
The Memorial's redevelopment is funded by the Australian Government, which has committed $498 million over 10 years towards the expansion of gallery spaces, improvement and modernisation of Memorial buildings, and enhancement of visitor experience.
The Council of the Australian War Memorial carefully considered four options for the redevelopment of the Memorial buildings and surrounds. The option chosen maintains the current façade of the Memorial when viewing from Anzac Parade, and introduces an enclosed glass atrium behind the main building to create a light-filled gallery space.
In response to public interest and requests for background information regarding the Memorial Redevelopment reference design, we have made two documents available to the public online – the Redevelopment Option Assessment document and papers from the meeting of the Council where four shortlisted options were discussed. By sharing this information our aim is to help the community, particularly our veterans, their families and descendants, understand our vision for the future of the Australian War Memorial.
Stakeholder Consultation
The Memorial conducted an eight-week stakeholder consultation process, from 2 August - 26 September 2018, seeking feedback on its proposed redevelopment.
The consultation centred on the following key themes:
Theme 1: A place for veterans and their families
Theme 2: Precinct priorities
Theme 3: The visitor experience
Theme 4: Telling more stories to more people
Theme 5: Future 50 – commemoration, museum and research themes
A series of public workshops and forums were held across Canberra, Sydney, Brisbane, Darwin and Townsville. A dedicated email address, webpage and social media channels (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn) also enabled stakeholders to provide written feedback. A summary report was made available to stakeholders during December 2018.
Contact us:
For enquiries related to the Australian War Memorial Redevelopment Project please email redevelopment@awm.gov.au