The Spirit of Anzac travelling exhibition officially opened its doors to the public at the University of Wollongong Sports Hub on Monday.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
NSW Governor general David Hurley and former deputy Prime Minister Tim Fischer joined other dignitaries for the opening ceremony and were delighted Wollongong was the first city in the state to host the event.
Gen Hurley said the free exhibition allowed people to reflect on the legacy of ANZAC, making it more real to them.
“The Illawarra has a proud role in this history, 4200 men participated in the first world war,” he said.
He gave the example of Private William Jackson who was the youngest Australian and the first on the western front to receive the Victoria Cross, before returning from war to become the licensee of the Figtree Hotel.
Wollongong Lord Mayor Gordon Bradbery said the interactive display would help educate about our our wartime history and help people “better understand the sacrifices made”.
Bookings are essential www.spiritofanzac.gov.au.
Visitors will follow a timeline from pre-war to today using a mix of visuals, audio, film, plus more than 200 artifacts normally housed at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra. It concludes on January 20.
