May 2017 at the AWM

Thank you for joining the Australian War Memorial in commemorating the 102nd anniversary of the landing of Anzac troops on Gallipoli. The Memorial welcomed an estimated 38,000 visitors to the Dawn Service and 7,000 to the National Ceremony.  Transcripts of speeches made on the day are available on our website, with official photographs available on our Flickr page.

The German First World War tank “Mephisto“ will soon be leaving the Memorial to return to the Queensland Museum. Don’t miss out on seeing this rare vehicle, currently on display in Anzac Hall until mid-2017.

To commemorate the centenary of the First World War, the Australian War Memorial collaborated with the Queensland Museum to display Mephisto outside Brisbane for the first time since it was transported from Europe after the end of the First World War.

Free talks will be held on the 11 and 25 May at 1.30 pm, so come along to discover how records from the Memorial’s archives helped piece together the tank’s story.

One hundred years after thousands died in the bloody fighting at Flanders in the First World War, a memorial garden has been created at the Australian War Memorial to ensure those Australians who never came home will be forever remembered.

The Flanders Memorial Garden contains soil taken from the battlefields and war cemeteries across Flanders, as well as soil collected by the Returned and Services League from significant military heritage sites in each Australian state and territory.

The garden sits within a formal grass court in the Memorial’s Western Precinct.

The Memorial’s First World War dioramas are counted among its the greatest treasures. Join Head of Art Ryan Johnston on Wednesday 24 May 2017 for a talk on these creations and the special place they hold in our collection.

Charles Gilbert, Arlo Mountford, and Louis McCubbin, Mont St Quentin, c. 1920-1923. (ART41018)

Join the Memorial this May for a range of curator-led tours, information sessions, workshops, and commemorative ceremonies. Visit our events calendar for our full list of public events programs.

The use of camouflage in warfare saves lives.  During the Second World War the Department of Home Security led a campaign to educate Australian troops in its military use.

The deceiving eye displays some of the first examples of Australia’s military’s camouflage. As materials and technologies have advanced, the reliance on the basic camouflage techniques has remained.

This temporary exhibition is now open in the Mezzanine Gallery above Anzac Hall, and free tours will be held on the 16 and 30 May 2017.

Wartime is the Memorial’s official magazine and a must-have for anyone with an interest in military history.

Published quarterly, the 73-page publication is devoted to the Australian experience of war, our military history, and the effects of war on society. All features are written by eminent historians and deal fully and frankly with both the distressing and the lighter sides of war.

Each issue delivers many stories of courage and survival of both service personnel and civilians and is illustrated throughout with incredible images from the Memorial archives.

Purchase the latest edition here now.

Our special Friends-only activities offer an insider’s view of the Memorial’s exhibitions and galleries. These activities include behind-the-scenes tours and talks by the Memorial’s historians and curators.

See our website for more information on how to join our Friends of the Memorial program.