Report to Government

Memorials

3.33The presence of a physical memorial—gravestones, campaign and service memorials, honour rolls etc—can provide a powerful symbol connecting us, both as individuals and as a nation, to Australia’s military legacy and to the service and sacrifice of tens of thousands of Australian servicemen and servicewomen. The Board notes that social research undertaken for the National Commission suggests that Australians do not want new memorials built when significant memorials for a particular conflict or battle already exist.⁶ Funding for new memorials has to be carefully targeted.

3.34The Australian Government has programs that communities may use to repair and upgrade community memorials, as well as construct new memorials in some cases. The Australian Government’s Saluting Their Service program facilitates communities, organisations and individuals taking an active role in commemoration and to ensure that the service of today’s Australian Defence Force is properly recognised. Modest grants to preserve, repair and upgrade community memorials, honour rolls, plaques etc may be accessed. The program may also fund construction of new community war memorials where none currently exist and where the memorial will be the focus of community commemoration. The Government has also announced an Anzac Centenary community grants program providing $100,000 to each federal electorate ($15 million in total), available during 2013–14. The program is designed to help local communities commemorate the Centenary in ways of their own choosing, including to support construction and refurbishment of First World War memorials and honour boards.

3.35The Board welcomes the Government’s announcement in December 2012, providing Deductible Gift Recipient status to a proposed National Boer War Memorial and a proposed National Peacekeepers’ Memorial, allowing donations to be tax deductible. The Government has also announced that it is providing $0.2 million funding towards a proposed National Boer War Memorial.

3.36The Board notes that there are other suggestions for major memorials in various parts of Australia, such as a proposed Australian–Turkish Friendship Memorial in Melbourne. The Board considers that such proposals could be considered for funding by state and territory governments, using a share of corporate donations made to the Anzac Centenary through the Anzac Centenary Public Fund, as proposed by the Board in Chapter 5.

Centenary overlay on a range of events, services and activities

3.37In addition to a program of special initiatives designed for the commemoration, the Centenary period will see business-as-usual activities continuing in the commemoration space and the broader community and business sectors. Overlaying business-as-usual activity with Anzac Centenary messages, in a respectful way, will be a very powerful way of raising awareness and commemorating the Anzac legacy. The Board encourages all levels of government and their agencies—as well as business, community groups, cultural and sporting codes and organisations etc—to consider how they may integrate the Centenary into their related activities. Some examples include:

• 
  special media programs
  
• 
  series of stamps, coins and associated competitions
  
• 
  regular events commemorating Australia’s military heritage
  
• 
  re-naming streets or buildings
  
• 
  sporting events across all codes, for example Australia–New Zealand sporting matches; Australia–Turkey soccer, basketball and volleyball matches; and a possible tri-nations’ soccer tournament on Anzac Day 2015.
  

4Arts and culture

The aims of this chapter are to outline the Board’s views on the importance of broad artistic expression of Anzac Centenary themes, including:

• 
  a Gallipoli Symphony
  
• 
  an Australian War Requiem
  
• 
  a joint Australian–New Zealand War Art Exhibition
  
• 
  state and territory arts festivals
  
• 
  an Anzac Centenary Artistic Director.
  

Scope and importance

4.1The Board is of the view that high-quality artistic creations will provide powerful and diverse ways to explore a wide range of themes and to engage and educate people with the sweep of experiences, values and emotions of those men and women who were involved in the First World War and in other wars and hostilities. The range of possibilities includes music, theatre, dance, visual arts, sculpture, literature, poetry, films, multimedia etc. The Board believes that there is scope for all forms of artistic expression to be used to convey to Australians of all ages and backgrounds the multitude of themes, stories, reflections and messages about Australia’s military experiences.

4.2The Board wishes to encourage artists—and artistic, creative and cultural organisations—to consider how they may use their talents to participate in the Anzac Centenary. Most artistic creations and events with Centenary themes will be inspired and proceed during the Centenary without much or any intervention by the Board or government at any level. This is as it should be, as the Anzac Centenary is far more than a ‘top-down’ exercise; indeed it draws its strength from communities and individuals participating in their own ways, inspired by their own reflections. Australia’s communities, cultural institutions and individual Australians will undoubtedly use their creativity to explore issues in a range of ways.

4.3The Board notes that in April 2012, the Australian Government announced the establishment of an Arts and Culture Fund with funding available from 2014–15. This Fund will help contribute to individuals’ creative participation in the Centenary. However, additional sources of funding may be required. The Board has also established a Creative Advisory Group—to assist with considering and facilitating artistic and creative contributions during the Centenary. The Board wishes to mention a few artistic initiatives that it believes are worthy of support.