Australian War Memorial

The Australian War Memorial Canberra is a place I have visited numerous times.

For those of you who know how much of a history buff I am, this would come as no surprise to you!

My craving for historical facts and stories stems from a desire to understand.

I wish to understand how wars start and what are their causes & effects. 

I need to know how & why mankind treats each other as it so often does - very, very badly.

I seem to be on a life long search to understand why we seem to be ruled by so much inhumanity, injustice, racism, sexism, intolerance, prejudice, lies & hatred.

I struggle to understand how these values appear to dominate our combined histories even as most of the individuals I know are honest, decent, caring, generous & kind human beings who wouldn't hurt a fly.

The thing I like about the War Memorial is that it highlights time and time again the courage, integrity & determination of ordinary human beings caught up in events beyond their making. 

War is not glorified.

It is explained, shown & described in all it's gory, unpleasant, devastating detail.

We are invited to commemorate, remember & interpret.

Each time I come away uplifted by the dignity of individuals - the ones who survive the atrocities and deprivations of  war & conflict, the people who maintain hope against all the odds, those who continue on despite despair and those, especially, who work to change the world for the better.

Roll of Honour

My great grandfather's brother died in WW1 - Enoch Walter Richens.
For the first time, I finally found his name on the honour roll.

Window inside the Hall of Memory

Dome inside the Hall of Memory

WW2 exhibition

Diorama of  Tobruk

Painting of Tobruk that the diorama was based on.

Plane silhouettes.
My father-in-law tells the story of how he learned all these silhouettes by heart when he was a young boy. If the planes came over at night, he would be able to work out if they were enemy or friendly aircraft.

In the ANZAC Hall

This is part of one of the Japanese subs that got into Sydney Harbour during WW2.

This is the torpedo damage to one of the Japanese subs.
This exhibition was lit up by moving blue-green light (in case you wondering about the unusual effects).

Ben Quilty's Captain S after Afghanistan.
"For his official war artist commission, Quilty has created large-scale portraits that focus on the intense physicality of these soldiers and on the emotional and psychological consequences of their service". 

Vietnam War helicopter.

There was a special exhibition called ANZAC Voices on while we were there.

It will run until Nov/Dec 2014...when the newly redesigned & redeveloped  WW1 rooms will reopen to the public.

All the staff we spoke to were very excited about the renovated rooms.
I've always loved the WW1 diorama's & can't wait to see how they've been refreshed.
Looks like another visit next Kanga Cup!