Issue 4 - Spring 2026

Making a Modern Memorial

In the fourth issue of WM, the Australian War Memorial's magazine, we take readers behind the scenes of the Memorial's Development Project and the creation of its newest galleries and public spaces.

From the first plans to the final installations, this edition explores how the new buildings, galleries and exhibitions were designed and delivered, and how they fulfil the enduring vision of the Memorial's founder, Charles Bean.

Readers will discover the stories behind the making of Anzac Hall and the Anzac Atrium, where architecture, storytelling and collection interpretation came together to create new ways of understanding Australia's experiences of war and service.

Highlights include:

A reflection on Australia's two decades in Afghanistan and the historical context behind the new War in Afghanistan: 2001-2021 gallery.
How veterans and diaspora communities worked with the AWM to help shape the new galleries in Anzac Hall and the Anzac Atrium.
A moving account of friends and crewmates Geoffrey Heath and Alec Saint-Smith told side by side for the first time in the Bomber Command gallery.