Calendar of Events

Join Jerry Palmer as he explores the personal stories of nurses who served on all sides and various fronts during the First World War. During the First World War, women were mobilised into the work force in unprecedented numbers and across all kinds of professions. It prompted anxieties in some quarters about how war work […]

In April 1941, Australian and New Zealand troops fought a series of desperate delaying actions during the Allied withdrawal through Greece. At Thermopylae and nearby Brallos Pass, they defended ground already indelibly associated with one of the most famous last stands of the ancient world. But what happens to a battle after the fighting ends? […]

Australia's WWII contribution is overshadowed by the Anzac legend, but wartime economic mobilisation transformed the nation. Joan Beaumont delivers the 2026 Robert O'Neill Lecture. AWM, Second World War, 1939-1945 The dominance of the Anzac legend in Australia’s political culture has tended to relegate World War II to a secondary place in national memory. So, too, […]

Professor Michael Snape explores the role of religion in the modern British Army, from the Korean War to Afghanistan. Drawing from his latest book, Canon Professor Michael Snape explores the history of religion in the Army since the Second World War. He considers the changing role of faith during the Cold War, the end of […]

As the saying goes, “An army marches on its stomach.” Yet the essential contributions of those who cook, research, and serve food to hundreds of hungry troops often go unrecognised. Taste of Combat honours the vital work of the Catering Corps and unveils the fascinating science and innovation behind military meals. Step into the world […]

It was Australia’s longest war, but how much do we know about what the Australian Defence Force did in Afghanistan? In this lecture, one of the authors of the Official History of Australian Operations in Afghanistan, will explain the different aspects of Australia’s contribution to the war, examining in turn the rationale for Australia’s involvement […]

When museum curator Colin Reid is handed a bullet-pierced diary for a Great War exhibition, it sets him on a decades-long quest to discover the fate of its owner, Corporal Claude Nuttall MM. This remarkable true story recounts that journey: from the heartland of England to the battlefields of France, and on to Nuttall’s homeland […]

Experience an unforgettable evening of music and reflection at the Shrine of Remembrance. Featuring the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra Chorus and the Footscray Yarraville City Band, this special twilight concert honours Remembrance Day through stirring performances of wartime classics and songs of reflection. Start your evening with a moving Last Post Service at 4.45pm, before the […]

Each year on 11 November at 11am—the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month—we pause for one minute’s silence to honour all who have served, suffered, or died in wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations. On this day in 1918, the guns of the Western Front fell silent after more than four years […]

When museum curator Colin Reid is handed a bullet-pierced diary for a Great War exhibition, it sets him on a decades-long quest to discover the fate of its owner, Corporal Claude Nuttall MM. This remarkable true story recounts that journey: from the heartland of England to the battlefields of France, and on to Nuttall’s homeland […]

To Fight and Win at Sea:125 Years of Australian Naval History In 1901, the Commonwealth Naval Force was formed, bringing together the separate colonial navies of Australia under one Commonwealth banner. The title ‘Royal Australian Navy’ was granted in 1911. In 2026, we examine these 125 years of Australia’s navy history.   Chief of Navy […]