Centenary projects 2014-2018

From August 2014 until 2018, we commemorated the centenary of the First World War, the scars it left and the pride we felt when we emerged from the other side.

Our vision

Director of the Australian War Memorial, Dr Brendan Nelson described his vision for the Memorial’s commemoration of the centenary of the First World War.

Centenary projects

The Australian War Memorial commemorated the Centenary of the First World War through a variety of projects.

A camera on Gallipoli

The Memorial held a digital exhibition showcasing the photographs of Charles Ryan, drawn from an extraordinary private collection assembled during the Gallipoli campaign.

Roll of Honour name projections

From 4 August 2014 to 11 November 2018 the names of each of the more than 60,000 Australians listed on the First World War Roll of Honour panels in the Memorial’s Commemorative Area were projected onto the exterior of the Memorial building.

Names were displayed from sunset to sunrise, and each name appeared around 30 times over the course of the four-year period.

Commemorative Crosses project

In early 2013 the Australian War Memorial assisted in the distribution of some 2,000 crosses on which Australian schoolchildren had written messages of hope and thanks for those who served in Australia’s name. These crosses have since been placed on the graves of First World War Australian soldiers on the western front.

Centenary brand

To represent the Memorial's centenary program, a logo was developed that took inspiration from the iconic Memorial building.

National and international outreach

Throughout the centenary the Memorial facilitated a number of significant loans to regional, state, and national institutions. The Memorial also collaborated with international organisations and governments on a range of projects including the exhibition held at the Australian Embassy, Washington DC and commitment to the Interpretive Centre at Villers-Bretonneux.