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The Memorial encourages respectful & appropriate discussions. We have a zero-tolerance policy on soliciting, discrimination or bullying. This website contains names, images and voice of deceased Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. This website contains war-related material, including images which some people may find confronting and disturbing.

On 6 June 1944, Allied forces landed in Normandy, beginning the liberation of Nazi-occupied Western Europe. Up to 3,000 ...
15/10/2026

On 6 June 1944, Allied forces landed in Normandy, beginning the liberation of Nazi-occupied Western Europe. Up to 3,000 Australians supported the D-Day operation, with most serving in the air and at sea.

The Australian War Memorial and STUDIOCANAL Australia are giving away four double passes to see ‘PRESSURE’ in cinemas!

The film follows General Dwight D. Eisenhower and Captain James Stagg as they confront an impossible choice: to delay or launch history’s largest and most dangerous seaborne invasion.

‘PRESSURE’ opens in cinemas across Australia on 29 October. Watch the trailer: https://brnw.ch/21x6pIL

To enter the giveaway, tag a friend you would take to see ‘PRESSURE’ in cinemas!

Entries close 11.59 pm on Sunday, 18 October 2026. Winners will be contacted by 5.00 pm on Monday, 19 October 2026.

STUDIOCANAL

Two hundred years ago, the invention of photography changed how people and events could be recorded. 📸 In Burgundy, c. ...
13/10/2026

Two hundred years ago, the invention of photography changed how people and events could be recorded. 📸

In Burgundy, c. 1826–1827, Frenchman Nicéphore Niépce made the world's first permanent photograph, 'View from the Window at Le Gras', using a camera obscura to expose a pewter plate coated with light-sensitive bitumen of Judea for around eight hours.

To mark the bicentenary, the original Le Gras plate is returning to France from the Harry Ransom Center in Texas, and the French Ministry of Culture is running a celebration of photographic creation and heritage until September 2027.

In Australia, it was in 1841 that visiting French sea captain Augustin Lucas brought a daguerreotype camera to Sydney, demonstrating it at the stores of Messrs Joubert and Murphy in Macquarie Place in the hope of selling it.

On 13 May, he took a view of Bridge Street – the first photograph taken in Australia. He soon after departed for Tahiti, and his image does not appear to have survived.

In celebration of all things photography (and to satisfy our own curiosity), our photograph curators recently reviewed the AWM collection of over 1.2 million photographs, to identify our oldest original photograph taken in Australia.

The hunt was harder than we expected, with a lack of historical provenance, broad time frames recorded simply as 'colonial era', and the original collecting remit of the Australian War Museum neglecting to consider conflicts prior to the First World War.

🔍 Three contenders stand out, however. Take a look at each and find out which we think is the oldest.

Every farewell and every homecoming tells two stories.There is the story of the person in uniform, and the story of the ...
12/10/2026

Every farewell and every homecoming tells two stories.

There is the story of the person in uniform, and the story of the family beside them: the parents, siblings, partners and children who wait, worry, support and endure.

Across generations of Australian service, families have carried the weight of long separations, missed milestones and uncertainty. They have been the steady presence at departures, the first embrace on return, and the source of strength through challenges both during and after service.

These photographs capture those intimate moments of goodbye and reunion and remind us that service is never experienced by one person alone.

Help us honour these stories. The Recognising Families Sculpture will honour the often unseen contribution of families, whose support, resilience and sacrifice have helped sustain generations of Australians who served.

Donate: https://www.recognisingfamilies.org.au/
Recognising Families Sculpture

Since the advent of photography, artists have pushed the artform of portraiture beyond mimicry.Portrait-making provides ...
11/10/2026

Since the advent of photography, artists have pushed the artform of portraiture beyond mimicry.

Portrait-making provides opportunities for expressing the sitter's individuality, their emotions and experiences. Each portrait entered into the 2026 Napier Waller Art Prize shares a personal story in visual form.

🔗 View the exhibition online and vote for your favourite in the People's Choice Award: https://brnw.ch/21x6koM (Voting closes 14 February 2027)

--
1. Thomas Crowhurst, 'The Severed Head of Thom the Bastard (or Self Portrait With Daffodils)' (2025, spray paint and acrylic on canvas, 157 x 200 cm).

2. Michael Armstrong, 'What I Carry' (2026, graphite and watercolour on polyester film, paper, 45 x 35 cm).

3. Leah Gordon, 'WRAN' (2025, oil on canvas, 77 x 77 cm).

4. Paul Robertson, 'Medals to Madness' (2025, alcohol markers, paint markers, pencils, spray paint and paper, 59.4 x 42 cm).

5. Roger Brennan, 'Silent Background' (2025, acrylic on canvas, 104 x 104 cm).​

6. Ben Pronk, 'Memento Occidi' (2026, oil on canvas, 125 x 200 cm).

Twenty-five years ago today, Australia commenced military operations in Afghanistan under Operation Slipper.Over the nex...
10/10/2026

Twenty-five years ago today, Australia commenced military operations in Afghanistan under Operation Slipper.

Over the next two decades, more than 35,000 Australians served in Afghanistan and across the wider Middle East Area of Operations. Their service came at a cost, with 47 Australians losing their lives and hundreds more wounded.

Today, we remember those who served, those who never came home, and the families, friends and communities who stood beside them.

Join us as we mark the 25th anniversary of Australian service in Afghanistan and reflect on the legacy of Australia's longest-running conflict.

The National Commemorative Service will be broadcast live on ABC from 10:30 am (AEDT). Tune in online or via ABC to watch the ceremony and pay your respects.

25 years ago, Australia’s commitment to Afghanistan began with Operation Slipper. Over the next two decades, over 35,000...
09/10/2026

25 years ago, Australia’s commitment to Afghanistan began with Operation Slipper. Over the next two decades, over 35,000 Australians served, many carrying the burden of that service for years after returning home.

We remember the 47 Australians whose names appear on the Roll of Honour as a result of their service in Afghanistan. Their service and sacrifice remain part of our national story, and part of the lives of those who knew and loved them.

Timothy Aplin
Richard Atkinson
Cameron Baird
Nathan Bewes
Ashley Birt
Jason Brown
Marcus Case
Todd Chidgey
Benjamin Chuck
Tomas Dale
Blaine Diddams
Bryce Duffy
Michael Fussell
Nathanael Galagher
Luke Gavin
Mathew Hopkins
Shaun Jenkins
Andrew Jones
Grant Kirby
Matthew Lambert
Todd Langley
Jamie Larcombe
Matthew Locke
Jared MacKinney
Jason Marks
James Martin
Sean McCarthy
Mervyn McDonald
Paul McKay
Stjepan Milosevic
Jacob Moerland
Scott Palmer
David Pearce
Andrew Perry
Robert Poate
Benjamin Ranaudo
Rowan Robinson
Andrew Russell
Gregory Sher
Darren Smith
Scott Smith
Brett Till
Matthew Tonkin
Alexander Turner
Brett Wood
David Wood
Luke Worsley

Lest we forget.

Tomorrow, on the anniversary of Operation Slipper, the AWM is proud to be hosting commemorative events open to ADF personnel, veterans, families, and members of the public wishing to pay their respects to those who served in Australia's longest-running conflict.

Learn more: https://brnw.ch/21x6iEK

09/10/2026

In September 2008, a combined Australian, US and Afghan patrol came under heavy attack near Khaz Oruzgan in Afghanistan's Uruzgan Province.

A heavily armed force of 100 to 200 Taliban insurgents positioned across the valley and surrounding high ground subjected the convoy to intense fire, turning a routine movement into a battle that stretched over hours.

As casualties mounted and personnel became separated during the fighting, the patrol worked to recover its people, protect the wounded and maintain momentum under pressure.

Among those involved was Trooper Mark Donaldson. During the fighting, he repeatedly exposed himself to enemy fire to protect wounded soldiers and recover a stranded Afghan interpreter, an action for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross.

The engagement became one of the largest and most demanding actions fought by Australian forces in Afghanistan which highlighted the complexity of coalition operations in some of the country's most challenging terrain.

To mark 25 years since the beginning of Operation Slipper, the Australian War Memorial will host a commemorative event on 11 October, bringing together veterans, families and visitors to reflect on Australian service in Afghanistan. Learn more: https://brnw.ch/21x6hdO

Dusty patrol routes, remote outposts, mountain valleys and fleeting moments of rest. Gary Ramage's photographs capture t...
08/10/2026

Dusty patrol routes, remote outposts, mountain valleys and fleeting moments of rest.

Gary Ramage's photographs capture the realities of deployment in Afghanistan, following soldiers through the landscapes and routines that shaped daily life on deployment.

Taken in Afghanistan during 2010, this selection of Ramage's images document Australian soldiers operating beyond the relative safety of established bases, accompanying Mentoring Team Delta as they carried out patrols in the Deh Rawood Valley region of Uruzgan Province.

A former soldier and military photographer, Ramage was able to access locations and experiences rarely seen by outside photographers. The result is a collection that records not only operations and landscapes, but also the conditions, camaraderie and resilience of Australians serving in Afghanistan.

To mark the 25th anniversary of Operation Slipper, the Memorial Shop will welcome Gary Ramage to share his personal account of the stories behind his photographs with visitors.

🕛 When: 11 October, 2pm-3pm
📌 Location: Memorial Shop

Twenty-five years after the start of Operation Slipper, the paintings of official war artist Peter Churcher offer a wind...
06/10/2026

Twenty-five years after the start of Operation Slipper, the paintings of official war artist Peter Churcher offer a window into Australia's military deployment during 2002.

Commissioned by the AWM, Churcher travelled with Australian sailors and aviators through the Middle East and Indian Ocean, documenting life aboard ships, on air bases and in temporary camps.

Among the most compelling works are his portraits. Sailors, aircrew and support personnel are rendered with the same care and attention traditionally reserved for senior figures, each painted as an individual rather than for their role.

Created during the early years of Australia's involvement in Afghanistan, Churcher's paintings capture the environment, personnel and routines that shaped Australia's contribution to the conflict.

What is an IED?Improvised explosive devices, or IEDs, were a defining feature of Australia's war in Afghanistan.Homemade...
05/10/2026

What is an IED?

Improvised explosive devices, or IEDs, were a defining feature of Australia's war in Afghanistan.

Homemade, adaptable and often hidden in plain sight, they posed a constant threat to troops operating in Uruzgan Province. A bicycle could conceal explosives. A routine patrol route could become a deadly hazard.

As insurgents changed their methods, coalition forces developed new technologies and tactics to detect and defeat these devices. Among those on the front line were explosive ordnance disposal specialists, combat engineers and explosive detection dogs.

➡️ Swipe through to learn more about the weapon that became the biggest threat Australians faced while deployed to Afghanistan.

On 11 October 2026, Australia will mark 25 years since the beginning of Operation Slipper. The Australian Government Department of Veterans' Affairs will hold a National Commemorative Service at the Australian War Memorial on Sunday, 11 October 2026.

🔗 Register to attend and learn more: https://brnw.ch/21x6bzu

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