Anniversary exhibition
explores impact of war
A NEW touring exhibition Shell-shocked: Australia after Armistice, developed by the National Archives of Australia to mark the 90th anniversary of the signing of the Armistice at the end of World War I, opens at the Cowra Regional Art Gallery this Saturday, June 9.
This memorable exhibition explores the personal impact of war on Australian men, women and children, and the nation’s attempts to recover from the loss or injury of almost three-quarters of its soldiers serving overseas.
It shows how the nation channelled its grief into public commemoration, honouring the fallen with national monuments and ubiquitous small town memorials.
The exhibition features photographs, personal letters, service files and memorabilia from the National Archives collection.
Shell-Shocked is accompanied by Mapping our Anzacs, an innovative and popular website encouraging users to explore the collection and create and share content.
Mapping our Anzacs presents information on servicemen and their communities in a fundamentally different way, using Google Maps technology.
Visitors can explore some of the archives’ most popular records and add personal photos, letters and other mementos using the online scrapbook.
The exhibition is on tour from 2010-13, visiting 15 museums and galleries around the country.
It is presented by the National Archives with the assistance of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs and Visions of Australia.
Shell-shocked: Australia after Armistice will be opened by Cowra RSL Sub-Branch vice-president, Frank Bridges, on Friday June 8 at 6:30pm.
Further information about the exhibition from the gallery on (02) 6340 2190.
A selection of high resolution images from the exhibition can be downloaded from
http://www.naa.gov.au/about-us/media/images/shell-shocked/index.aspx.
Explore Mapping our Anzacs at http://mappingouranzacs.naa.gov.au/.
Town & District
