ADVERTORIAL ❘ SIR JOHN MONASH CENTRE


SIR JOHN MONASH CENTRE A unique and moving experience


The Somme region is a must-visit for Australian visitors to France and this stunning commemorative centre, opened in April 2018, is a fitting place to pay your respects


The Sir John Monash Centre near Villers-Bretonneux, 120km north of Paris, tells the story of the more than 295,000 Australian men and women who served on the Western Front, and the enduring relationship between the Allied nations.


LOSSES – AND VICTORY – ON THE SOMME


The Australians’ first – and worst – battle in France was Fromelles, where they experienced a disastrous defeat with more than 5,500 casualties in 14 hours. Tragically, over three years in France and Belgium, more than 46,000 Australian soldiers perished – the greatest losses ever experienced by Australia in war.


A turning point for Australian troops came in 1918 with the appointment of Lieutenant General John Monash as commander of the Australian Corps – the first Australian appointed to this position on the Western Front.


His textbook victory at the Battle of Hamel in July 1918 became the template for other battles, leading the Australians to victory in subsequent battles and to the Armistice on November 11, 1918.


SIR JOHN MONASH CENTRE


The Sir John Monash Centre, named in his honour, is not a museum in the traditional sense but a multimedia interpretive hub on the Australian Remembrance Trail


154 ❘ FRANCE TODAY Apr/May 2019


along the Western Front. The trail, spanning 200km from Ieper (Ypres) on the Channel coast in Belgium to Bellenglise in northern France includes battlefields, cemeteries, memorials and museums – all sharing their own experiences of the First World War. The Sir John Monash Centre is designed to tell the full story of Australians on the Western Front battlefields of the First World War, and brings the experiences of ordinary Australians in extraordinary circumstances to life like never before. Using state-of-the-art technology, stories are available on each visitor’s mobile device via the Sir John Monash Centre app, available for free download on the onsite Wi-Fi network, or by loan devices. The app is a virtual tour guide, allowing visitors to experience the site at their own pace and in their choice of English, French or German.


Beacon technology throughout the site offers a seamless and deeply personal experience for visitors as they journey through the Villers-Bretonneux Military Cemetery, the Australian National Memorial and the Centre itself. The Australians’ stories are told through powerful use of light and sound. The centrepiece is an immersive gallery with more than 180 screens on the walls and ceiling, delivering content simultaneously and offering a moving insight into life – and death – on the Western Front. ■


IMAGES © AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS’ AFFAIRS


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