Veterans helping to redevelop the AWM
By Claire Hunter, Australian War Memorial
Liam Barbic is in his element.
Having swapped his Army uniform for a hardhat and high-vis vest, Liam (pictured below) is one of the former soldiers working on the redevelopment taking place at the Australian War Memorial.
As the site co-ordinator for the construction of the Memorial’s new southern entrance, he is responsible for managing day-to-day activities on site.
Working closely with project manager Rebecca Conway, he co-ordinates everything from concrete trucks coming in and fences being moved, to ensuring construction teams can safely enter and exit the site, all while the Memorial remains open to visitors.
‘It's really special,’ Liam says. ‘When this job came along, I was really excited to grab the opportunity, and I'm just extremely grateful … You're doing something to physically create something, and it is very hands on.
‘It's about seeing the big picture, integrating different teams [that are] delivering completely separate results, and making sure it all comes together to achieve the one outcome, while dealing with all the intricacies and all these different little components.
‘I'm still only young and I’m really just entering the industry … but I think it's going be hard to top this in the future.’
Having grown up in Canberra, Liam joined the Army in March 2015 and served as a rifleman with the 1st Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment, in Townsville. His great-great uncle had served in the 2/1st Australian Infantry Battalion during the Second World War, and a cousin had served in Iraq.
‘I joined straight out of school,’ Liam says. ‘It would have been about a week after my 19th birthday … When I was a kid, I went to a Dawn Service here [at the Memorial]. I just remember seeing it and thinking it was really special. I was just drawn to it straightaway and so I thought, “I want to do that. I want to contribute … to do something bigger than myself”. I loved everything about it, and I was just drawn to Army.’
After leaving the Army in 2019, Liam decided to pursue a career in the construction industry. He started working on the Memorial development through Veterans in Construction, a labour-hire company founded by veterans that helps veterans find work in the construction industry.
‘I think every veteran and ex-service person is drawn to this place because of what it stands for,’ Liam says. ‘It’s an iconic building that stands for everything that me, and all of my friends, stand for. [As a kid], I'd look at it and I'd always think, ‘This is a really special place, I'd love to be here one day and contribute in some way”.
‘I think it means a lot to everyone … to have a specific building that is dedicated to the memory of all those people [who have served and died].’
For Liam, it’s important that the Memorial has the space to be able to share the stories of more recent conflicts and peacekeeping operations.
‘A lot of people visiting have lived through some sort of war, so to have the opportunity to display items and share stories that reflect that will mean a great deal to a lot of people,’ he says. ‘It's not just a job. It'll be one of the highlights of my life.’
Some of the veterans working on the redevelopment