The following formal submission have been made public
Submitter: sonja weinbergAnzac Hall and Glazed Link
To the National Capital Authority Works Approval team.
I write in regards to the NCA's current consultation on the Australian War Memorial (AWM) Main Works, most specifically the New Anzac Hall and Glazed Link.
The NCA's crucial role is to ensure that all development within significant areas of the national capital is consistent with the National Capital Plan. I call on you halt this development which is inconsistent with that Plan. The proposed development will significantly change the nature of this institution. Not only will it detract from the heritage, culture and symbolic role of the city, it will totally undermine the importance of this building as a memorial.
The AWM was established, according to its own publications as "not a general museum portraying war, much less one glorifying it, but a memorial". It is a place to reflect upon the tragic loss of life and terrible physical and psychological damage to so many more lives due to wars.
However, this proposal, in particular the New Anzac Hall and Glazed Link creating vast additional space for the showcasing of large military objects and weaponry, distracts from and undermines the core purpose of the Memorial. Instead, it simply provides a place where weapons manufacturers can effectively advertise their wares through sponsorships!
Examples overseas show that there are other options if there is a need/desire for an exhibition of defence materiel of grand scale. For example, the J. Elroy McCaw Personal Courage Wing of the Museum of Flight in Seattle “highlights the stories of courage, dedication, heroism and the triumph of the human spirit of those involved in fighter aviation in World War I and World War II. This 88,000-square-foot addition …. showcases 28 immaculately restored WWI and WWII fighter planes across two galleries, including one of the finest collections of historic fighters found anywhere in the world—the internationally known Champlin Fighter Collection. Through state-of-the-art exhibits, interactive experiences and flight simulations the Personal Courage Wing exhibits tell the stories of not only those who flew, but the people who designed, built and maintained these amazing aircraft.” This model could be used at an alternative location, such as the AWM facilities in Mitchell.
The question for the NCA is whether it is appropriate under the National Capital Plan, and consistent with the Griffin Plan, for the Australian War Memorial to be transformed simply to enable the showcasing of machinery of mass death at the physical and symbolic heart of the national capital. Or whether an alternative, more appropriate, location would be preferable.
I suggest in the strongest possible terms that the proposed development is not appropriate under the National Capital Plan, nor is it or consistent with the Griffin Plan.
I write in regards to the NCA's current consultation on the Australian War Memorial (AWM) Main Works, most specifically the New Anzac Hall and Glazed Link.
The NCA's crucial role is to ensure that all development within significant areas of the national capital is consistent with the National Capital Plan. I call on you halt this development which is inconsistent with that Plan. The proposed development will significantly change the nature of this institution. Not only will it detract from the heritage, culture and symbolic role of the city, it will totally undermine the importance of this building as a memorial.
The AWM was established, according to its own publications as "not a general museum portraying war, much less one glorifying it, but a memorial". It is a place to reflect upon the tragic loss of life and terrible physical and psychological damage to so many more lives due to wars.
However, this proposal, in particular the New Anzac Hall and Glazed Link creating vast additional space for the showcasing of large military objects and weaponry, distracts from and undermines the core purpose of the Memorial. Instead, it simply provides a place where weapons manufacturers can effectively advertise their wares through sponsorships!
Examples overseas show that there are other options if there is a need/desire for an exhibition of defence materiel of grand scale. For example, the J. Elroy McCaw Personal Courage Wing of the Museum of Flight in Seattle “highlights the stories of courage, dedication, heroism and the triumph of the human spirit of those involved in fighter aviation in World War I and World War II. This 88,000-square-foot addition …. showcases 28 immaculately restored WWI and WWII fighter planes across two galleries, including one of the finest collections of historic fighters found anywhere in the world—the internationally known Champlin Fighter Collection. Through state-of-the-art exhibits, interactive experiences and flight simulations the Personal Courage Wing exhibits tell the stories of not only those who flew, but the people who designed, built and maintained these amazing aircraft.” This model could be used at an alternative location, such as the AWM facilities in Mitchell.
The question for the NCA is whether it is appropriate under the National Capital Plan, and consistent with the Griffin Plan, for the Australian War Memorial to be transformed simply to enable the showcasing of machinery of mass death at the physical and symbolic heart of the national capital. Or whether an alternative, more appropriate, location would be preferable.
I suggest in the strongest possible terms that the proposed development is not appropriate under the National Capital Plan, nor is it or consistent with the Griffin Plan.