Australians at War

SHARE YOUR HISTORY

Much of the material that forms the stories on this website had been sitting in someone's drawer or cupboard gathering dust, but came to light during research for Australians at War. Part of the reason for the success of the television series and this website is that hundreds of Australians were prepared to share with the researchers their memorabilia items and the stories of their experiences.

But just because production on the television series has finished, this does not mean that others are not interested in your items. The Australian Government Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA) is continuing to gather and record information about memorabilia items for possible use by researchers or historians working through DVA or the Australian War Memorial. This information will not be made publicly available. Only those who are undertaking important research work will be able to draw on this database. If you are prepared to assist with this work, please fill out the memorabilia information form below. No-one will be asked to give up their memorabilia items.

FOR THE FUTURE

Provided they are cared for, the best place for your memorabilia items is with you and your family, for they are an important part of your family history and should be kept for future generations.

However, should you no longer wish to retain your memorabilia items, either now or in the future, DVA can assist in arranging for the items to be presented to an appropriate local historical society or war museum or to a state or national collection.

Note: there is no guarantee that State and national collections will accept or display any particular item as they may already hold similar pieces. However, these institutions could be offered the item which, if declined, can be passed to a regional or local community museum.

If you wish to have help in now finding a permanent home for your memorabilia items, please tick box.

Name:
Surname:
Address:
Postcode:
Telephone:
Email:

What is the item? Describe it fully. Give as much detail as you can.
e.g A collection of six photos of men of the 2/31st Battalion. Each photo measures 150mm x 100mm. Some fading on one photo. Four photos are of groups, two are single portraits.

What war or conflict is the item from?

Who owned the item originally? e.g My father, Petty Officer J Smith.

If the item is a document, diary or letter, please provide some background information. Give details of where the documents were produced or written. e.g. Letters covering the period Jan-Feb 1942, from Private Jim Brown, then 18 years old, to his mother. Written during training.

If the items are photographs or movie film, describe the subject matter.

Identify people or places in photos, if you can. e.g. Super 8 film taken at Nui Dat, Vietnam 1969, showing a birthday party put on for one of my section. Sequence runs about two minutes. Film is in good condition with no scratches.

If the items are drawings or artworks, what is the subject matter, when were they produced, and by whom? e.g. Pencil sketches of the Korean War, drawn in 1958-59 by my father, Squadron Leader Bill Smith, who served in Korea in 1951.

Please provide a short summary of the contents of diaries and letters, especially of points that you think are significant.