Series number

AWM170

Series title

Australian War Memorial Council and related committee records

Series contents range

26 Jun 1918 - circa 1997

Extent

5.7 m

Access conditions

Subject to the Australian Archives Act (1983)

Agency controlling

Australian War Memorial

Custodial Agency

Australian War Memorial

Function and Provenance

This series consists of agenda and minutes of meetings of the Australian War Memorial Council (from 1980) and its predecessors, as well as various sub-committees.

The Australian War Memorial arose from the ideas and efforts of Charles Bean, Australia's Official War Correspondent during the First World War. Early in 1917 Bean submitted a paper to Generals White and Birdwood proposing an Australian national war museum.  Birdwood recommended the proposal to the Australian Government which indicated support for the idea in May 1917 and in 1918 established the Australian War Museum Committee.

The Australian War Museum Committee first met on 26 June 1918, with the following members present:

·         Senator G F Pearce, Minister for Defence, (Chairman);

·         Honourable P McMahon Glynn, Minister for Home and Territories; and

·         Sir Henry Weedon, Chairman of Exhibition Trustees.

At the Committee's meeting on 11 October 1923 the Australian War Museum was renamed the Australian War Memorial, and the Committee's title changed accordingly. In September 1925 the "Australian War Memorial Act" was passed and the management of the Australian War Memorial was reorganised.

The first meeting of the Board of Management was held on 12 May 1926, and the inaugural Board members were:

·         Senator the Rt Hon G F Pearce PC, (Chairman);

·         Lieutenant General Sir Harry Chauvel;

·         Rear Admiral P H Hall-Thompson RN;

·         Major General Sir Brudenell White;

·         Major General Sir Neville Howes;

·         Major General Sir Thomas Glasgow;

·         Major the Hon C W C Marr;

·         Mr Justice Ferguson;

·         H S Gullett Esq MP; and

·         C E W Bean Esq.

The Director, Major J L Treloar OBE, was also normally present at meetings.

At the May 1926 meeting of the Board of Management, subordinate committees were constituted, including Finance (supplanting the Finance Subcommittee which had          existed since 1922), Art and Library.

In July 1963 the "Australian War Memorial Act 1962" came into effect, and the Board of Management was succeeded by the Board of Trustees (a proposal originally considered by the Australian War Memorial Committee in 1924).  The first meeting of the Board of Trustees was held on 15 July 1963, the inaugural members being:

·                Lieutenant General Sir Edmund Herring (Chairman);

·                Sir Gilbert Dyett;

·                Sir Tasman Heyes;

·                Mr E C Riley;

·                Air Vice Marshal W D Bostock;

·                Mr G M Long;

·                Mr A J Lee;

·                Mr H B S Gullett;

·                Matron V Bullwinkel;

·                The three Service Chiefs as ex-officio members, namely Vice Admiral Sir Hastings Harrington, Lieutenant General Sir John Wilton and Air Marshal Sir Valston Hancock     

The Board of Management was succeeded in 1980 by the Council, following the passage of the "Australian War Memorial Act 1980". The first Council meeting was held on 17 July 1980, the inaugural members being:

·                Lieutenant General Sir Thomas Daly (Chairman);

·                Mr J P F Dixon;

·                Professor B H Gandevia;

·                Sir William Keys;

·                Mrs Y M R McComb;

·                Mr M J Neil;

·                Mr J N Parker;

·                Dr W D L Ride;

·                The Hon Sir John Starke;

·                The three Service Chiefs as ex-officio members, namely Vice Admiral G J Willis, Lieutenant General Sir Donald Dunstan and Air Marshal N P McNamara.

From 1926 onwards various subordinate committees existed, their titles and roles occasionally changing as required by changing circumstances. Two committees which briefly existed for special ceremonial occasions are worthy of mention, namely:

·           Anzac Day Ceremony Committee 1929. - This committee was formed to arrange the ceremony for the unveiling of the Commemoration Stone on Anzac Day 1929.

·           Official Opening Committee 1941. - This committee was formed to arrange the ceremony for the official opening of the Australian War Memorial on 23 June 1941.

The records were maintained by the successive management boards and committees in Melbourne until transferred to the War Memorial after its opening in 1941. In February 1996 three boxes of unserialised material were located and integrated into the series.  Accession OW96/2 containing agenda and minutes of more recent meetings (1988-1994) was added to the series in March 1996.

Content

The series consists of the agenda and minutes of Committee meetings, grouped as follows:

·         1/-  Governance: (the Australian War Museum Committee 1918-23, Australian War Memorial Committee 1923-26, Board of Management 1926-63 and the Board of Trustees 1963-80, and the Australian War Memorial Council 1980 onwards)

·         2/-  Finance: (Finance Sub-committee 1922-26, Finance Committee 1926-63, Executive and Finance Committee 1963-73, Executive Committee 1975-85,        Finance and Resources Committee 1987-93 and Finance Committee 1994-)

·         3/-  Research and Publications:(Literary and Films Committee 1964-74, History and Publications Committee 1975-78, Research Committee 1978-81, Research and Publications Committee 1981 - )

·         4/-   Museum: (Art Committee 1921-75, Gallery Committee 1975-87 and Museum Committee 1987 -)

·         5/-  Plans: (Plans Committee 1952, Plans Sub-Committee 1952-53, Plans Committee 1954-59 and Planning Committee 1966-68)

·         6/-  Anzac Day Ceremony Committee 1929

·         7/-  Official Opening Committee 1941

·         8/-  Infrastructure:  (Building Committee 1928, Buildings Committee 1985, Buildings and Grounds Committee 1986 -)

·         9/-  Public Programs Committee 1991-

·         10/-  National Collection Committee 1991-

·         11/- Specialist and Research Services Committee 1991

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