Australian War Memorial to showcase two rare pieces of history this Remembrance Day National Ceremony
Two extraordinarily preserved objects are set to see the light of day for the first time in decades.
Two extraordinarily preserved pieces of history are set to see the light of day for the first time in decades this Remembrance Day.
The Australian War Memorial (AWM) marks 85 years of serving as a permanent reminder of the horrors of war and sacrifices of those in service this year.
To mark the occasion, two symbolic and poignant artefacts will be seen for the first time in decades.
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The first will be a scarlet poppy wreath with a royal history, first laid by the Duke of Gloucester at the Memorial’s construction site more than 90 years ago.
It was placed by the Duke in 1934, between the two world wars, to remember those who lost their lives in The Great War and to symbolise the beginning of work for the memorial.
The wreath has been carefully stored and preserved ever since, in a process that sees it regularly frozen and treated to ward of damage from moths.
But on Wednesday, it will be laid in honour once again, this time by Governor-General Sam Mostyn.
The AWM’s senior curator Shane Casey said the wreath was the oldest of its kind in the Memorial’s collection and it would be the first time in decades it had been laid during a ceremony.
“It is very, very symbolic, as it represents so much about the imperialism of the day, the relationship between Australia and Britain and all the lives lost,” Mr Casey said.
“We have a number of conservators here who are very well trained and put a lot of time and effort into looking after it.”
He said the wreath must be stored in special acid-free boxes to ensure it stayed preserved and would need to be handled extremely carefully.
The second item is an equally delicate piece of military history – a cloth poppy which was handed out at the Memorial’s official opening in 1941.
It belonged to First World War veteran Stanley Mason, who enlisted as a private when he was 23 years old.
Mr Casey said it was one of about 110 that were handed out on the day of the Memorial’s launch – but was the only one that had since been traced.
“At a time when it appears war is everywhere you look, it is so important for us to remember the sacrifices people made to defend our nation and why they did it,” Mr Casey added.
“Poppies are such an iconic symbol of this – they are a very visible thing that help us to remember.
“These two items show the continuity of tradition in expressing commemoration.”
A rich history of remembrance
Ground was broken on the museum in 1934, when the wreath was first laid, before it was officially unveiled on November 11, 1941.
It sits in the Treloar Crescent in Campbell, in the Australian capital of Canberra.
The site was selected to overlook parliament, so the nation’s decision-makers could overlook it and bear the horrors of war in mind before committing to military actions.
It was initially designed as a memorial to the First World War, however, its collection was expanded to include the Second, which was still four years from resolution when it opened.
“The AWM is always evolving. It was originally designed to commemorate and tell the story of Australians who served and died in the First World War, but as Australia’s involvement in conflicts expanded, so too did the scope,” senior historian Craig Tibbitts said.
“The museum has evolved to include Australia’s modern conflicts, such as Afghanistan, East Timor and the Middle East.”
The museum’s director Matt Anderson said Wednesday’s ceremony would be an opportunity to reflect on all those who chose to put their lives at risk to protect others.
“As the nation pauses at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, we remember all those who have served, and all who never came home, from the fallen in Gallipoli to the fallen in Afghanistan,” he said.
“We need to acknowledge the horrendous nature of war and what we ask our men and women to do.
“The purpose of the AWM was always to be a memorial, archive and museum while reminding people to say, never again to war, just as the then Governor-General Lord Gowrie said at the opening in 1941.”
Originally published as Australian War Memorial to showcase two rare pieces of history
