Australian War Memorial

Ink in the Lines Exhibition

“Wagga Wagga is the first stop on a national tour for the Australian War Memorial’s (AWM) Ink in the Lines exhibition, which examines the tales told by military tattoos. The Director of the AWM, Matt Anderson, will be in the city at 11 am on Saturday 20 November to officially launch Ink in the Lines, which is the centrepiece of three new exhibitions at the Wagga Wagga Art Gallery.” Read more here.

Tattoos in the Military

“A new exhibition which relates personal stories and experiences of Australian veterans through the use of tattoos, Ink in the Lines, is now on display at the Australian War Memorial.” Read full article here and click on the link to the AWM site here.

Veterans’ Film Festival

Veterans Film Festival. The Australian War Memorial. October 18-22, 2017. veteransfilmfestival.com. Veterans Film Festival director Tom Papas says, "We want to put the spotlight on stories about veterans, their families, first responders and the impact war has on society." For full story click here.

War Memorial celebrates indigenous service

While Australian War Memorial curator Amanda Jane Reynolds is passionate about all the exhibits she has drawn together for the first exhibition devoted solely to the military experience of Australia's first peoples, Len Waters' flying helmet speaks to her most strongly. Warrant Officer Waters, who was born at Eurabi Mission near Boomi in northern NSW in 1924, was Australia's first Aboriginal military aviator. For full story click here.

Stephanie Boyle – Australian War Memorial

The Australian War Memorial has more than 7000 hours of recordings in its Oral History and Recorded Sound Collection. ABC's Narelle Graham interviews Stephanie Boyle – Senior Curator Photographs Film and Sound. For full story and download audio interview click here.

OHAA National Conference – Australian War Memorial interviews

Recording from the frontline: the Australian War Memorial’s experience of interviewing current serving Defence force members

1.30 pm 21 September 2013.

Stephanie Boyle
Australian War Memorial

Stephanie did 500 hours of interviews in the field in Afghanistan and Iraq. She spent four weeks in Afghanistan. She was very well prepared but was challenging. She did 50 interviews and had a template for the interviews which included aspects of life on the base, impact on family life, how do they feel about being there.

Parts of interviews on Australian War Memorial YouTube channel – Collecting in Action http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJi-GHfQCx0. Some interviewees did not understand the purpose of oral history. She had to put them at their ease. One soldier, Ziggy Mortars (pseudonym) has song on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q30TXlqiBTY It was hard for them to wind down when retuning to Australia. They did not sleep well for a long time and did not know how to answer the question “what was it like?” It was all about survival. It was a good learning opportunity for the interviewer and may be used to test the ANZAC mythology. Perhaps interview them again in 10 years time. All interviews have to be secured by Defence for about 20 years.
Suzanne Mulligan

ANZAC Family History

According to the Australian War Memorial, there is already increased interest in Gallipoli and the Western Front, and there will be a spike in public inquiries as 2015 approaches. Jennie Norberry, the AWM's manager of information services, believes that a general interest in family history, boosted by a television genealogy series, during the past 10 years is contributing to greater curiosity about family military history. For full story with video click here.