Description
This is the official Facebook page for the Australian War Memorial.
The Australian War Memorial combines a shrine, a world-class museum, and an extensive archive. The Memorial's purpose is to commemorate the sacrifice of those Australians who have died in war. Its mission is to assist Australians to remember, interpret and understand the Australian experience of war and its enduring impact on Australian society.
The page is managed by members of the Memorial's Digital Experience team - Brie, Cynthia, Fleur and Krissy - though from time to time other staff will post content to the page. Please note that this page is monitored during business hours only.
Comments:
We welcome your comments on our Facebook posts. We particularly like comments which are directly relevant to the topic of the post.
We do review the comments, and will hide, delete or report any that we judge to be inappropriate. The grounds for removing comments include profanity and personal attacks, as well as comments that are libelous or defamatory, or are irrelevant to the discussion, or merely spam. We reserve the right to hide or remove any comments posted on this Facebook page.
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RECENT FACEBOOK POSTS
facebook.comLast Post Ceremony – 25 December 16
In today’s Last Post Ceremony we remember ***Closed for Christmas Day from and their service in . The Last Post Ceremony streams live from the Memorial in Canberra at 4.55pm every day. Proudly supported by RSL & Services Clubs Association, RSL Victoria and RSL Queensland.
Timeline Photos
To all of our followers, supporters, patrons, and servicemen and women past and present, the Australian War Memorial wishes you all a Merry Christmas. Our best wishes to you for today and all days - from the Director, Council, staff and volunteers.
Last Post Ceremony – 24 December 16
In today’s Last Post Ceremony we remember Flying Officer Hugh John McCulloch from Ulverstone, TAS and their service in Second World War. The Last Post Ceremony streams live from the Memorial in Canberra at 4.55pm every day. Proudly supported by RSL & Services Clubs Association, RSL Victoria and RSL Queensland.
Research Centre | Australian War Memorial
Please note that Memorial social media will be monitored intermittently from now until 3 January, so we may not be able to answer your queries as quickly as we normally do but we endeavour to get back to you as soon as possible. If you have any urgent research or family history queries, you are welcome to email the Research Centre at any time, or drop in during business hours during the holiday break.
Anzac Christmas hampers | Australian War Memorial
If you're looking for last minute gift inspiration, a Christmas Hamper filled with goodies is a tried and true idea, and may be as "rapturously received" as they were by our First World War soldiers. An army of mainly female volunteers in the Australian Comforts Fund and the Red Cross distributed close to 50,000 hampers to the Anzacs in Egypt and the Greek Islands. The hampers contained such luxuries as razor blades, coffee and the now traditional socks. Read on to find out what other surprises were packed in the Anzac Christmas billies.
Last Post Ceremony – 23 December 16
In today’s Last Post Ceremony we remember Trooper Alexander Nairn and also commemorate the Centenary Anniversary of the Battle of Magdhaba.The Last Post Ceremony streams live from the Memorial in Canberra at 4.55pm every day. Proudly supported by RSL & Services Clubs Association, RSL Victoria and RSL Queensland.
Timeline Photos
The Battle of Magdhaba was an action fought by the Australians on 23 December 1916 in Egypt during the First World War. Earlier in 1916, Ottoman forces had made a number of unsuccessful attempts to attack the Suez Canal after crossing the Sinai Desert. Major General Harry Chauvel’s Anzac Mounted Division defeated a combined German and Ottoman force at Romani in August and pursued the retreating Ottomans east along the coastline towards Palestine. Over the following months, British troops of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force consolidated their gains, carrying out patrols throughout the Sinai Desert to protect the construction of a railway and water pipeline to sustain future operations in the area. By December, logistics and supplies were sufficient enough for the British advance to continue towards Palestine. Magdhaba was a remote village south of El Arish where Ottoman forces occupied strong defensive positions. On 23 December 1916, Australian, British and New Zealand troops of Chauvel’s Anzac Mounted Division attacked the Ottoman garrison, making their main assault dismounted and with support from artillery and machine-guns. Although the Ottoman positions gave the defenders a clear advantage, Chauvel’s troops enveloped the village and cut off the garrison’s ability to withdraw. Troops of the 1st Light Horse Brigade, New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade and the Imperial Camel Brigade captured the Ottoman defences through a series of charges with rifle and bayonet. In capturing Magdhaba, the Anzac Mounted Division suffered 146 casualties (22 were killed and 124 were wounded) while the Ottomans lost 300 killed and over 1,200 as prisoners of war. Combined with the success at Rafa on 9 January 1917, the capture of Magdhaba marked the final defeat of the Ottomans in Sinai and opened the way for the British to advance into Palestine. This evening’s Last Post Ceremony we will remember and pay tribute to Trooper Alexander Nairn of the 8th Light Horse Regiment who was killed during the final assault on the Ottoman positions at Magdhaba. Watch the ceremony live on our Facebook page at 4.55 AEDT today. Image details: www.awm.gov.au/collection/ART09230/
Timeline Photos
The Memorial will once again hold late-night openings of the Commemorative Area next month. Join us on Fridays and Saturdays from 7.30pm to 10pm to see the Memorial in a different light. Our voluntary guides will share stories of those listed on the Roll of Honour, names from the First World War Roll of Honour will be projected onto the dome. Commemorative Area late-night openings are from 1 to 30 January 2017.
Last Post Ceremony – 22 December 16
In today’s Last Post Ceremony we remember Private William Gar from Darwin, NT and their service in First World War. The Last Post Ceremony streams live from the Memorial in Canberra at 4.55pm every day. Proudly supported by RSL & Services Clubs Association, RSL Victoria and RSL Queensland.
Amanda Rishworth MP
‘WW1 Anzacs of the Fleurieu Peninsula: Stories from Pioneer Families’ celebrates the lives of the many servicemen and women from Southern Adelaide who fought bravely for our country in the First World War.
Elevation of the senses
The Australian War Memorial has offered our canine friends a Christmas gift by augmenting the recent Explosive Detection Dog sculpture 'Elevation of the senses' with a water bowl for the use of any and all dogs that walk through the Memorial’s grounds. The water bowl and tap were designed by the same artist who created 'Elevation', Ewen Coates, a Melbourne-based sculptor and painter who has been involved in numerous major public sculpture commissions around Australia. The bowl and tap have been given the same patina as the sculpture, creating the ideal Instagram backdrop for visiting dogs and their owners. Director of the Memorial Dr Brendan Nelson hopes this will entice dogs to interact with their bronze likeness, while reinforcing the critical roles that animals have played during war. “The grounds of the Australian War Memorial are a popular location for people walking their dogs. Something as simple and effective as this water bowl is another way for people to engage with the myriad stories of service and sacrifice within the Memorial’s collection.” Elevation of the senses is in front of Poppy’s Café. Bring your four-legged friend along for a visit over the Christmas break for a cool drink during the hot days. Tag us in your photos on Instagram, we can't wait to see them! Further information on 'Elevation of the senses': https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/ART96850
Timeline Photos
When stationed overseas, Australian service personnel would need to get creative to find or make Christmas gifts with the limited resources available. One of the commercially manufactured items available was a pair of miniature pink underpants bearing the printed message, “Merry Christmas and Happy New Year – Don’t get caught with your pants down.” The pair in the Memorial’s collection was sent by Leading Aircraftman Raymond Rooke to his sister Maria. The significance of the motto – and just what Maria made of her brother’s gift – has not been recorded. The little souvenir remained among her most treasured possessions until they were donated to the Memorial in the 1970s. https://www.awm.gov.au/blog/2009/02/13/puddings-on-the-veld/
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