A visit to Australian War Memorial at Canberra

Canberra has some interesting spots, for a traveler. One of my favorite places in Canberra is the Australian War Memorial (AWM). This was my first visit.  We reached there an afternoon on a Saturday. The Memorial was opened on Remembrance Day, 11 November 1941. It was a tribute to the sacrifice of over 102,000 Australians who died in world wars and other peacekeeping initiatives. The memorial has a museum, archive and my favorite part, the shrine or the Commemorative area. 

The Byzantine styled memorial is in sandstone with a copper dome. It is located in a lovely green lawn facing the New Parliament building, with the Anzac Parade leading up to it.

Why every Traveler should visit Australian War Memorial

To know a country well enough, it is important to know its history as well. Australian War Memorial is one of the best places  to help us with that . A visit to AWM  helps us to honor the valuable sacrifices made by the soldiers to provide us a peaceful life & also to understand the military history of a country.  Also this is a great place to educate children about the history. I noticed the guides were very patient to explain children about various exhibits and events.

Did You Know?

• The Poppies on the Roll of Honour are not a planned idea. It was a result of the people pushing the poppies through the cracks as they waited to lay the Poppy in the tomb of the unknown soldier.
• The tomb in the Hall of Memory belongs to an ‘unknown’ soldier – is’nt it well said ‘He is all of them. He is one of us” ?
• There is a reason why Rose Mary sprigs are worn on Anzac & Remembrance day. Because of its memory boosting value, it is considered as an emblem of fidelity & remembrance and hence its perfect for the occasion!
• Every one who has been in Australia for a little longer would have visited a RSL club some point or the other. RSL stands for Returned & Service League of Australia ( Now you know why you see Dawn Services at RSL’s  on Anzac Day)

The Commemorative Area

The entrance to the memorial has two limestone guardian lions which is said to have been from the Gateway of Menin road (The Battle of Yenin Road during the 1st World War), presented by Ypres city to the Memorial. 

The inscription read, “In assurance of a friendship that will not be forgotten even when the last digger has gone west and the last grave is crumbled.”

It was interesting to read the historical significance of Menin Gate Lions.

This leads to the courtyard with lovely flowering gardens on both sides. The Pool of Reflection and Eternal Flame are at the centre of focus.

Pool of Reflection and the Eternal Flame

The combination of fire and water in the pond evokes a sense of poignancy even on a crowded afternoon. The installation is in such a way that it seems like the flame arises from the water. The beauty of the flowers around or the magnificence of the courtyard seem to be lost once you see this view.

Roll of Honor

Roll of honour is a long series of bronze name plates of over 100,000 of Australian armed services who have lost their lives in a warlike service.  These are on the both the sides of the walls leading to the shrine. Just the view of the panels with the flowers brings in a reminder of the cost of freedom and peace that we enjoy today. The names were a painful reminder of that many gave up their families and friends to give their next generation the gift of peace.

To be included in the Roll of Honor, personnel should have died during World Wars or post 1945 conflicts and should have been part of the Australian service forces. The Roll of Honor database has personal information of the personnel such as name of unit, date of death and memorial details. The scanned versions of old circulars are also available in the database. For families of personnel who were missed in the wars, the Roll of Honor can be an amazing source of information.

Red Poppies are widely used on remembrance day and it signifies the sacrifice of shed blood.

The Hall of Memory 

The steps in the courtyard leads to the Hall of Memory or the shrine. Here lies the centre-piece of the experience, the tomb of the Unknown soldier. This is a remembrance point with paintings of soldiers on the walls and the huge glasses on the windows. It is a high ceiling dome with a tomb, where people come in and pray and some even brought flowers.

It was an emotional experience for me to see the tomb. I spent some time in silence thanking the blessed souls. The tomb lies directly beneath the dome which signifies the souls of the dead, departing for heaven.

First World War exhibition , Second World War exhibition, Vietnam War exhibition are another interesting exhibitions inside the Australian War Memorial.

Last Post Ceremony

The evening we witnessed a beautiful ceremony dedicated to one of the “Roll of Honour” martyr. The ceremony starts at 4.55PM. All the tourists and staff attend the solemn ceremony held in the commemorative area. Though unplanned,  I felt pleased to be there at that time of the day to attend the Last Post.

The word last post denotes the bugle call which signifies the end of the day’s activities in military tradition.

Once the band set the mood, a current soldier came and hoisted the flag. Then read about the family and upbringing and the available information about the soldier. The ceremony brought the memories and I am sure sense of gratefulness for the soldier and his family. The family members have the opportunity to lay flowers below the photo of the solider placed in the courtyard.

I highly recommend attending a Last Post Ceremony at the War Memorial for the same reason.

Outside the Australian War Memorial has the following huge machines and equipment used in the war. The size of the machines speak to the intent.

The day was beautiful. The history of the place and the artefacts provide a window to one of the pieces of our life that we tend to forget in our daily lives. I cannot but feel a sense of gratitude to the organization in preserving the memories and reminding us of the lives of people who lived before us.

Tips for visiting Australian War Memorial

• Plan for half a day if you are history buff because it would take you along time to read through the exhibits
• Make sure you go with the right travel partners as there are quite a few who would not appreciate the significance of it ( unfortunately!) . This is not just another ‘museum’.
• If you plan to attend the Last post ceremony, make sure you are there at 4:55 PM
• Anzac day & Remembrance Day are important days to visit Australian War Memorial. Check out the website to plan your visit.
• There are free guided tours for 20, 60 & 90 minutes and I recommend using it.
• There are two cafe’s inside AWM which are useful as this takes few hours.

To support the establishment, donations can be made by purchasing Commemorative Car Popies. For more details check out .

How To Reach & Where to Stay

Canberra, has its own international airport & flying down is easy. If you are travelling with Australia  it is reachable by drive as well. Since there are multiple Things To Do In Canberra, this can be easily made a weekend trip ( or more) . Most of the attractions are all located in and around 10 minutes driving distance within the city. Few of them are Parliament House, Lake Burley Griffin, National Art Gallery, National Musuem,  Floriade( in September) & Annual Balloon spectacular.

4 Hour free parking is available onsite.

There are multiple accommodation options available within the city which can be the base for a trip to Canberra.