Report to Government

2Education and research

The aims of this chapter are to outline the Board’s development of an Anzac Centenary education and research program of activities, including:

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  the scope and importance of education and research to the Anzac Centenary
  
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  a national travelling exhibition and Exhibition in a Box
  
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  educational scholarships and research grants
  
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  Anzac Interpretive Centre, Albany
  
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  greater recognition of the role of women in the Armed Services and on the home front
  
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  Australian Remembrance Trail
  
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  digitisation of selected First World War repatriation records
  
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  greater recognition of the role of Indigenous Australians
  
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  greater awareness of the contribution of Australians from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds
  
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  posttraumatic stress disorder research
  
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  programming, documentaries and use of technology, including social media
  
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  HMAS AE2.
  

Scope and importance

2.1The National Commission emphasised the vital importance of improving knowledge, awareness, research and understanding of Australian military history and the experience of Australians at war. The Board concurs with this view and considers that improving education and awareness, especially for younger generations of Australians, to be one of the most important legacies that can come from the Centenary. Our understanding of Australia’s military experience has to be multifaceted and objective. It is essential that the opportunity is taken during the Anzac Centenary to refresh and improve Australians’ understanding of the substantial range of issues covered by Australia’s military experience. We need to recognise that there are many perspectives and interpretations that the facts can elicit, and there is a need to acknowledge mistakes and wrongs, as well as honour the overwhelming heritage of courage, resilience and selflessness. A multifaceted perspective on Australia’s military experience could include the following themes:

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  broad-based analysis of military campaigns from the Boer War to Iraq and Afghanistan
  
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  the home front, including families
  
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  social impacts of war, including impacts on communities
  
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  economic impacts of war
  
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  political implications
  
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  women and war
  
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  the requirements for securing and maintaining peace
  
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  peacekeeping
  
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  Indigenous Australians and war
  
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  war and Australians from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds
  
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  physical and mental impacts of war on veterans, their families and the families of the deceased, and how to provide effective care and treatment.
  

2.2Centrepieces of the National Commission’s educational and research proposals were recommendations for a mobile exhibition and to establish an Anzac Centre for the Study of Peace, Conflict and War. In addition, the National Commission proposed the development of a suite of education-related projects, including school-based programs, documentaries, scholarships and academic exchange programs.

2.3The Board also received a number of education and research-related submissions from academic institutions, foundations and cultural institutions. It considered all the proposals before it, seeking to:

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  identify important educational themes relating to Australia’s experience of war and hostility
  
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  assess the best, most cost-effective, ways to meet these themes.
  

2.4The Board believes that an integrated Anzac Centenary education and research program of activities is an essential initiative of the Centenary to enhance knowledge and understanding across the Australian community. The following proposals seek to meet important Anzac Centenary educational themes outlined above in an effective way. Importantly, they may be combined during the implementation phase to create richer, multidimensional and cost-effective initiatives. As an illustration, a travelling exhibition could readily combine with local broadcasting, personal histories and use of social media to create an interactive, educational and highly engaging experience, bringing together the broad expanse of history with personal stories.

National travelling exhibition and Exhibition in a Box

2.5The Board considers that a travelling exhibition has the potential to bring the Anzac Centenary to many people in rural and regional Australia who otherwise would have limited ability to be involved and actively engaged. It may also travel to urban communities. However, while a travelling exhibition will be of high benefit, it is also likely to be of high cost and a range of options should be considered. The Government committed $245,000 in the 2012–13 Budget to assist with a scoping study for a travelling exhibition. The Australian War Memorial has managed the scoping study and engaged two companies to undertake key aspects: Gibson Group from New Zealand to examine development of the Anzac History Wall (the Wall) and MI Associates from Sydney to develop a business plan for a nationwide touring exhibition involving transporting the Wall on a road vehicle.

2.6The National Commission’s initial proposal envisaged an exhibition of First World War memorabilia, artefacts and interactive displays to provide an educational experience to visitors. The proposal emphasised touring rural, regional and remote areas to provide these communities with an opportunity to be involved in the nationwide commemorative event. However, the Board has been mindful that Australia’s national cultural institutions would understandably not wish to risk damage to fragile and high-value physical objects in a mobile exhibition and this would likely limit the range, quality and interest of the exhibits.

2.7Accordingly, the most significant change from the National Commission’s proposal envisaged by the scoping study is a move away from a traditional travelling exhibition concept to far greater use of interactive technology through a large-scale Wall. The Wall is a 12-metre long mobile, self-contained, interactive electronic video mechanism that presents historical and exhibition content in digital format. The Wall would allow numerous visitors to explore simultaneously photographs, film, artworks, images of objects, letters, maps and other factual and interpretive material from the Australian War Memorial’s collections. It would facilitate the telling of personal stories against the backdrop of the sweep of historical events in which the individuals participated.

2.8Another significant benefit of an interactive travelling exhibition is that it is able to act as a backdrop for local community events, facilitating community engagement. For example, it could provide a suitable scene for a local commemorative event or school involvement. Similarly, the digital wall is able to deliver special exhibitions, such as on war correspondents or the Red Cross etc. The start and closing dates of the exhibition and timing at key locations in its itinerary could be planned to coincide with major commemorative dates.

2.9A travelling Anzac History Wall offers an immensely rich and rewarding educational experience. However, it would undeniably be a complex and expensive undertaking. The lead-time for developing the travelling exhibition, in terms of data and interpretive content, technology, logistics planning, and staff provision, is long—estimated at some two years from approval to on-the-road delivery. It is inevitable that the project, if approved, would not be operational for the commencement of the Centenary but could be operational during 2015.

2.10The Board has considered the two broad options—a traditional touring exhibition and a more interactive, digital option. It believes that the Anzac History Wall offers clear advantages in terms of engaging Australians, but acknowledges that the high cost will be a significant factor in Government decision making. Accordingly, if pursued, it should be considered as a scalable proposition with various options, based on variations in scope and the extent and duration of the touring timetable. For example, a well-designed one-year tour, involving two Walls and two road vehicles, could put the exhibition within reasonable reach of a significant proportion of rural and regional Australians. Involvement of local media—print, radio, television and through the internet and social media, including the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s extensive local networks—would greatly assist with publicising the tour’s local itinerary, generating local participation in all its forms. The possibility of utilising the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s local facilities to support the exhibition, including its sites, buildings and communication and transmission equipment, could also be explored.

2.11A travelling exhibition for the digital age could be a flagship Anzac Centenary project. The Board is of the view that this would be a highly visible and attractive initiative, suited to corporate donations through the Anzac Centenary Public Fund and in-kind support. The costs of undertaking the tour, including on-site support and interpretive staff, could be contained by the involvement of volunteers. The lead-time for developing such an exhibition may mean that the Government needs to provide some initial ‘seed funding’ or a repayable advance to allow preparations to start, as up-front corporate funding is unlikely to be sufficient. The Board considers that an interactive, digital tour should only be contemplated if sufficient firm commitments to the Anzac Centenary Public Fund have been secured from business. This is a challenge for Australia’s business community.

2.12Should a travelling exhibition (digital or traditional) not be feasible, particularly because of funding uncertainties, then alternatives should be explored to ensure that rural and regional Australia still has the opportunity for close engagement in the Centenary. An alternative might be provided by an exhibition organised around a regional air show, which could act as a catalyst for local community events. Such air shows could be worthwhile events in their own right.

2.13Similarly, the Australian War Memorial’s Exhibition in a Box initiative, developed in conjunction with the National Archives of Australia, could provide a value-adding initiative in conjunction with the travelling exhibition or be a stand-alone feature for local communities. The initiative would provide access to material from the collections of the Australian War Memorial and National Archives of Australia, as well as related historical and interpretative information, to local community groups, including local councils, schools, historical and genealogical societies. Communities will be able to download everything they need to produce and customise their own Anzac Centenary exhibition. Communities could choose to print material from the online resources to create a physical exhibition, an online exhibition or a combination of both. This initiative will encourage communities to complement an exhibition with local material drawn from collections held by organisations and/or individuals.