Places of Pride passes 10,000 memorials listed in two years

This Australian War Memorial initiative aims to display photos and record the location of every war memorial across the country.

Amanda Dennett, Head of Digital Experience, said there has been an wonderful response from organisations and individuals across Australia since Places of Pride was launched on 1 November 2018.

“We are extremely proud and humbled to see the number of local councils, RSLs, community organisations and everyday people from towns across Australia that have contributed memorials and photographs to Places of Pride.

“They demonstrate the enduring pride, respect and remembrance their communities have for the service and sacrifice of men and women from their area in conflicts from the Boer War to Afghanistan,” she said.

The initiative is part of the program to showcase memorials from across the country in an interactive display in the planned new Memorial galleries.

“Places of Pride is an enormous undertaking, and although we have had generous support from Australians in building the register, not every memorial is yet on the map,” Ms Dennett said.

Memorial Director Matt Anderson said he hoped this Remembrance Day would encourage even more people to register their local memorial and upload a photo to the website.

“This Remembrance Day we’re appealing to all Australians to explore Places of Pride and make sure their local war memorials are included on the register. I encourage people to take pride in their local stories, and to share their local memorials to the website.

“This will help ensure that every town, every community and every memorial is represented. We want the Australian War Memorial to have a connection with each and every Memorial in the country,” Mr Anderson said.

The Australian War Memorial appreciates the many contributors to Places of Pride, including the Department of Defence and Virtual War Memorial Australia, who have generously assisted with significant data-sharing for this national database.

Memorials are some of Australia’s most sacred places and can be found in cities and towns around the country. From small, modest memorial plaques and honour rolls to grand museums and monuments, war memorials bear testament to the costs of war, and reveal deep community connections to conflicts and peacekeeping operations from the Boer War to Afghanistan.