The Australian War Memorial has celebrated the completion of its new Anzac Hall with an official opening ceremony in Canberra on 23 June 2026.
It follows the staged openings of the main works packages including the Atrium, Southern Entrance, Parade Ground, and the CEW Bean Building and Charles Bean Research Centre.
Visitors now can visit three major new galleries on modern conflicts: Afghanistan, Peacekeeping, and the Middle East. The new space also houses dynamic reimagined displays from the Second World War including G for George in Bomber in Command, Milne Bay and Sydney Under Attack.
The Director of the Australian War Memorial, Matt Anderson, highlighted the commitment and hard work of 1,948 workers, which included more than 257 apprentices who were inducted into Anzac Hall. “More than 100 veterans were part of this development project. They have been here from the beginning and from the ground up.” he said.
Mr Anderson said they always wanted the new Anzac Hall to reflect but not imitate the Heritage building. Features such as the sandstone wall show the care and attention dedicated to this build. The sandstone was brought from the same quarry as the original building.
“The roof design was inspired by the iconic Rising Sun badge worn by the Australian Army. We used copper cladding to mirror the original copper dome silhouette,” said Mr Anderson.
The completion of the third and final major works package represents five years of planning, four years of collecting, three years conserving, two years of detailed exhibition design and one intensive year of installation.
“The Australian War Memorial has a mission unlike any other cultural institution in the country. We have a unique and enduring purpose and are three things at once – a shrine, an archive, and a museum,” said Mr Anderson.
“This allows us to explore more deeply each of the stories entrusted to us. These are not static, they evolve, while paying tribute to the facts of the past. That is how we help our visitors to understand the causes, conduct and consequences of conflict.”
“It is a tribute to our staff, that we were able to stay open throughout a once-in-a-generation development, while still delivering a world-class visitor experience. It is truly a remarkable achievement with hard work and ambition realised,” said Mr Anderson.
Among the thousands of tasks undertaken, the movement of collection items into the new Anzac Hall stood out. “One of our collection managers, Kassandra Hobbs PSM, oversaw the relocation of more than 3700 objects into Anzac Hall,” said Mr Anderson.
“Every one of those objects, from the giant Lancaster G for George to a tiny lucky cat smuggled into a prisoner of war camp, helps tell a fundamental story of who we are as a nation.”
The Australian in Bomber Command displays in Anzac Hall alone will feature 369 objects, 70 per cent of which will be displayed to visitors for the very first time.
The AWM is still in the process of completing galleries with the Pre-1914 and Discovery Zone Interactive Learning Centre to be delivered in 2028. The Pre-1914 galleries are currently recruiting for experts.
For more information about the Australian War Memorial, visit: www.awm.gov.au for details.
Image: Official Opening of the Atrium and Anzac Hall at Australian War Memorial – photo by Marcus Fillinger