The Australian War Memorial in Canberra has launched a new exhibition exploring the personal and social impacts of wars on Australians over the past 100 years.
After the War has been developed as part of the Memorial’s commemorations of the 1918 Armistice that ended World War I and features a wide range of objects, works of art, letters and documents drawn predominately from the Memorial’s own collection.
Director of the War Memorial, Brendan Nelson said After the War was an emotionally powerful exhibition that dealt with complex themes, such as the cost of victory and the aftermath of war for individuals and for the nation.
“These are personal stories of hope, loss, and love,” Dr Nelson said.
“This exhibition is remarkable in its raw honesty about the impact of war, and it poses some vital questions.
He said the questions included such quandaries as how can a society celebrate a victory at the cost of so many lives? How does a mother rejoice in a victory in which she lost her sons? How do servicemen and servicewomen resume a normal life after witnessing the brutality of war? What is the true, hidden cost of war?
“As the commemorations of the First World War conclude, this exhibition invites visitors to immerse themselves in these confronting themes which, sadly, seem to repeat themselves again and again, over time,” Dr Nelson said.
Assistant Curator of the exhibition, Kerry Neale said that while the end of World War I did not bring lasting peace, it brought a need to commemorate and reflect on the cost of victory.
“The Memorial’s After the War exhibition examines the aftermath of all wars in which Australia has been involved since the First World War,” Dr Neale said.
“It is unusual in that it begins with an ending. The fighting on the Western Front had stopped by 11 November 1918, but Australians still had to deal with the consequences of the war.”
The exhibition is currently open at the Memorial and will run for 12 months.
