The Last Post: a ceremony of love, loss and remembrance at the Australian War Memorial tells the story of the Last Post Ceremony, a moving daily event dedicated to recounting the life of an individual who died as a result of their service, and remembering their sacrifice.
This superbly illustrated volume presents a selection of personal stories and images related to the Last Post Ceremony, as well as reflecting on why we commemorate, the changing nature of commemoration through history, and the central role played by the Australian War Memorial in Australia’s national story.
“The Memorial was founded by Charles Bean to ensure that the nation would never forget the spirit of those who served, and to help others understand the Australian experience of war,” said author Emma Campbell. “But it can be difficult to exhibit individual experiences, or even to include them in the official histories, so in most cases the stories of the men and women who served have not been formally recorded.”
“The Last Post Ceremony aims to rectify this by revealing the details of a person’s life – including their childhood, family, and early pursuits – as well as their war service, to help people better understand the sacrifice of the more than 102,800 Australians whose names are set in bronze on the Memorial’s Roll of Honour. This book explains how we do that, and what it has meant to thousands of people who have participated in the event so far.”
Emma Campbell is a researcher and writer in the Australian War Memorial’s Military History section. After working as a journalist in Australia and overseas, Emma joined the Memorial as a media relations officer and was managing editor of Wartime magazine from 2013 to 2017.
The Last Post: a ceremony of love, loss and remembrance at the Australian War Memorial is published by NewSouth Publishing and is available from the Australian War Memorial or Booktopia.
Image: The Last Post: a ceremony of love, loss and remembrance at the Australian War Memorial (supplied)