Australian War Memorial update

2020 is set to be a big year at the Australian War Memorial, with various exhibitions on display and work beginning in earnest on the next stage of the Memorial’s development project.

The main title display for the Against all odds exhibition with the rest of the exhibition in the background.

The ‘Against all odds’ exhibition.

Discover amazing stories of near misses and survival from the First World War to Afghanistan in the Memorial’s latest exhibition, Against all odds.

During times of war, courage, determination and sometimes luck can be all that stands between a person and death, wounding or capture.

Against all odds brings to life personal stories of escape and endurance, with objects on display serving as tangible reminders of desperate battles for survival. It is displayed on the mezzanine level of Anzac Hall until June 2020.

Elsewhere in the Memorial, a new exhibition exploring the history and importance of humour to those in the armed forces is now on display in the Reading Room inside the Memorial’s Research Centre.

Laughter: a powerful ally profiles comedians — including Gold Logie Award winner Tom Gleeson and Australian comedy icons Roy and H.G. — who were flown into conflict zones such as Timor, Afghanistan, and Iraq. It features a range of art, costumes and photographs from the Memorial’s collection.

Illustration of two diggers holding up a drunk clown and smiling at a semi-naked woman.

A painting from the ‘Laughter: a powerful ally’ exhibition.

Finally, the Memorial will embark on the next phase of its development project with a series of community consultations in the coming months.

Keep up-to-date with the Memorial’s development by subscribing to our free quarterly e-newsletter Our Next Chapter. It only takes a few seconds to sign up to the e-newsletter.

To view our plans, and learn more about our continuing story, you can visit the AWM website as well as our on-site Information Gallery, which is located outside Poppy’s Café. The Information Gallery is open daily from 8.15am to 4.30pm.

The Australian War Memorial is closed to the public. Please check the AWM website over the coming months.