Dr Jean Bou examines the dramatic events in Palestine in the last months of the Great War, when a great offensive led to a rapid British advance over hundreds of miles. An advance in which the Australian Light Horse played a considerable role.

Read more about the fall of Damascus in Dr Jean Bou’s article ‘Onto Damascus’ in Remembrance.

What were the experiences of the Australians fighting on the Western Front in the final battles of the First World War? Sourced from soldier’s diaries and letters, Will Davies, pieces together their experiences from Amiens to the Hindenburg line.

Will’s book, The Last 100 Days is available for purchase through the Shrine Shop.

The centenary of Armistice edition of Remembrance is out now.

What did it mean in a country so attached to Anzac, a legend of battlefield prowess, to have spent the war as a prisoner? Drawing on their own words, Professor Christina Twomey presents the POW’s struggle to rehabilitate themselves and to win compensation.

The Battle Within can be purchased through the Shrine Shop.

Available now, the Centenary of Armistice edition of Remembrance.

Recorded Thursday 20 September.

Dr Bart Ziino.

News of the armistice that ended the First World War arrived in Australia late on 11 November 1918. That moment witnessed an outburst of emotion in public rarely seen. On the surface—and in the streets—the response was a mixture of exultation and relief. But only slightly less obvious were more difficult feelings of pain, loss and bitterness, as Australians took the opportunity to re-assess what four years of war had meant.

You can read more by Dr Bart Ziino on the armistice in Australia in our newly released Armistice edition of Remembrance.

Flowers of war

Shrine CEO Dean Lee is joined by Professor Paul Gough for the launch of our newest special exhibition, Flowers of war. 

The appearance of cornflowers and poppies on the battlefields at the end of the First World War symbolised for many the fragility of life and the hope of rebirth. This collaborative work of art comprises enamelled floral emblems of remembrance, inspired by those found on the battlefield and at home.

The exhibition will be on display in the Shrine Galleries for the next twelve months from 10am to 5pm, last entry at 4.30pm.

Meet the artists:

Jean McAuslan will host a special talk with the artists Kirsten Haydon and Neal Haslem at midday on Thursday 1 November. Bookings are essential.

Remembrance

Flowers of war is featured in the centenary of Armistice edition of Remembrance.

Guest speaker Dr Jean Bou

Special recording from the exhibition launch of The Light Horse: Australians in the Middle East 1916–18. The exhibition was launched in October last year and will be closing at the end of this week. It features works of art by Sidney Nolan, George Lambert and Susan McMinn as well as personal memorabilia from General Sir Harry Chauvel. The exhibition is on display to the public until Sunday 21 October and can be viewed from 10am daily. Last entry at 4.30pm.

Discover more about the Australian Light Horse the special edition of Remembrance.

Jim Eames recounts the remarkable story of Qantas and its crew in the face of the Japanese advance towards Australia. Flying unarmed planes through war zones and at times under enemy fire, the airline supplied the front lines, evacuated the wounded and undertook surprising escapes.

Courage in the Skies is available for purchase through the Shrine Shop.

Recorded 10 May 2018.

In 1941, Australian troops were far home fighting Axis forces across North Africa and the Middle East. By 1942, Japan had advances on Singapore and seized Australian territories in New Guinea while America joined the Allies in the Pacific. John Edwards discusses the leadership of Prime Minister John Curtin during this pivotal time in Australian history.

Wing Commander Alexandra Douglas MG, one of the first Australians to be awarded a Medal for Gallantry, reflects on her three decade career as a medical officer in the army and air force and shares the key issues underpinning effective medical treatment on the front line.

Read more about Alexandra’s service in the For Humanity special of the Shrine’s Remembrance magazine released for Anzac Day 2018.

Join Chris Masters as he goes to the heart of some of the fiercest combat in Afghanistan with the Special Forces. Following a ten-year investigation, Chris gives a voice to Australia’s most highly trained soldiers and examines what it is like the be a member of this country’s elite fighting forces.

No Front Line is available for purchase through the Shrine Shop.

For more stories from our military, past and present, check out the Shrine's Remembrance magazine.

Shrine CEO Dean Lee is joined by Mrs Xanthula Wrigley and Professor Peter Monteath in the launch for our newest exhibition Resistance: Australians and the European Underground 1939–45. Resistance is on display daily from 10am to 5pm in the Shrine's West Gallery.

Discover important stories of courage in the face of adversity, the overcoming of extraordinary obstacles and demonstrations of profound fortitude in the Shrine's Remembrance magazine which reflects the Australian experience of war.

There were fifty miles to victory and defeat, fifty miles to collapse and renewal, and fifty miles to a new place for Australia among the nations of the world. They were among the most significant fifty miles in our history. Join Adam Wakeling as he explores the final battles for the Australian troops in the First World War and their significance.

Adam’s book The Last Fifty Miles is available for purchase in the Shrine shop.

For more stories from our military, past and present, check out our Remembrance magazine.

This talk was recorded on 23 May 2018.

Tuesday 1 May 2018 - Melinda Martin, Matthew Sleeth, Wendy Sharpe and Tanja Johnston

Australian war artists as historians, documenters and first hand witnesses must confront their own experience of the tragedies of war. In partnership with Linden New Art Gallery, join us for a special conversation with two contemporary Australian war artists about their experience in war-torn countries.

Recorded Thursday 8 March 2018

Sister Florence James-Wallace was stationed at Villers-Brettoneaux during the early stages of the 1918 German offensive. She described it as resembling 'Dante's Inferno'. The hospital overflowed with badly wounded men and hundreds more lay in the streets on stretchers needing her nursing skills. This is her story.

You can learn more about Sister Florence James-Wallace and other Australian Nurses in Susanna de Vries’s book Australian Heroines of the First World War.

Recorded Friday 13 April 2018.

Guest speakers Dr James Villiers and Air Vice-Marshal Tracy Smart AM.

For Humanity: Medicine in war and peacekeeping since 1945 is the Shrine's latest special exhibition and can be viewed daily between 10am and 5pm until March 2019. 

For more stories from our medical personnel, check out the latest edition of Remembrance.

Become a Friend of the Shrine for invitations to exclusive events such as exhibition launches and for free entry to our public programs.

Recorded 5 April 2018.

In 1918 a few daring low ranking Australian infantrymen, alone among all the armies on the Western Front, initiated stealth raids without orders. Lucas Jordan examines this distinct but neglected group who killed Germans, captured prisoners and advanced the line, sometimes thousands of yards and almost always without command on either side knowing.

Stealth Raiders is available for purchase from the Shrine shop.

Join Shrine Curator Neil Sharkey as he unravels the many myths and legends of the Australian Light Horse in the Middle East. While Australian infantry served in the grim trenches of the Western Front, their Light Horse comrades fought a mobile war against the Ottoman Turks in the desert wastes of Sinai, Palestine and Syria. This special centenary exhibition extends beyond the legendary attack on Beersheba and features paintings by Sidney Nolan, George Lambert and Susan McMinn.

The Light Horse: Australians in the Middle East will be on display at the Shrine of Remembrance until October 2018. The Shrine is open daily from 10am to 5pm.