After the War: traditions, symbols and commemoration

Australians have created their own traditions, symbols, and commemorative spaces with which to honour those who served. From small-town memorials and local rituals to the housing of a National Collection at the Australian War Memorial, people all over the country have reflected on our involvement in conflicts across the world. 

On Anzac Day and Remembrance Day we pause to remember the people who have died as a result of service, and as our understanding of war grows, the way in which we commemorate has grown with it. Veterans, families and the wider community have all sought to identify the lessons of conflict and what it means for the individual.

The Australian War Memorial's special exhibition, After the War, explores the personal and societal impact and legacy of war and is coming to a close on 15 September. 

Developed as part of the Memorial’s commemorations of the Armistice that ended the First World War, the exhibition explores the personal and social consequences of war over the past 100 years. It features a wide range of objects, works of art, letters, and documents predominately drawn from the Memorial’s own collection.