Gallery Development Update

Since forming in October 2019 the Memorial’s Gallery Development team has managed an extensive engagement program focused on uncovering and collecting the contemporary stories of service and sacrifice that will be told in the Memorials new galleries. This engagement program will continue until the end of 2023 when the new gallery designs will be finalised.  

In 2022 alone, the team has conducted over 329 engagement activities including online focus groups to get feedback on early content ideas, detailed story development with individual veterans, and seeking feedback on object displays from those who crewed and maintained equipment that is now in the National Collection.

Some recent engagement activity highlights include:

• Base visits to the headquarters of the 16th Aviation Brigade and the 5th Aviation Regiment, where veterans and personnel are assisting with the development of the new exhibition on Australian Chinooks in Afghanistan.

• An oral history interview with one of the protesters who painted 'No War' on the Opera House.  His paint roller, paint tin and paint splattered Dunlop Volleys are slated for display in the Iraq War gallery.
• An engagement session with veterans from Timor (3RAR) to discuss an interactive 3D model of Dili explaining INTERFET (International Force East Timor) operations.
• Content development discussions with Rwanda Veterans for the Peacekeeping gallery.
• Meeting with the staff of the SASR Museum in Perth to view their displays and discuss the role and experiences of the Regiment in the Middle East region over the last 20 years.
• The commencement of oral history interviews with former crew members, including Leading Seaman Jack Aaron (pictured below), of Australia’s guided missile destroyers (DDGs) for the HMAS Brisbane bridge display that will be located in the new Glazed Link. Visitors will discover the stories of life in Australia’s DDGs, HMAS Perth, Hobart and Brisbane, over the nearly 40 years of their service.