Hall of Memory in the Australian War Memorial- myassignmenthelp

Question: Discuss about theHall of Memory in the Australian War Memorial. Answer: History and Description of the Hall of Memory: The Australian War Memorial is the national memorial in Australia, situated in the capital city Canberra. It was constructed in memory of the armed forces of the nation. The memorial commemorates all the members of the forces and organizations that were involved in the wars. It was opened in the year 1941 and is considered one of the most significant memorials in the world (Dittmer and Waterton 2016). The memorial has three different parts, which include the Hall of Memory, the Memorials galleries and the Research centre. It has outdoor sculpture garden and the Tomb of an unknown Australian soldier was added to the Hall of Memory in 1993 to mark the 75th anniversary of the conclusion of the First World War (Ziino 2015). The memorial has the potential to provide detailed information that alludes to the political, social and military history of the country. The Hall of Memory stands at the heart of the commemorative area, constructed in the year 1936. The hall is an octagonal shaped chapel, standing tall with a dome and small floor plan. The walls are lined with mosaic tiles brought from Italy and inside the tomb is the tomb of the Australian soldier. The Hall of Memory is very symbolic with the presence of various pieces of art that connotes to the memories of the war. Sodersteen first conceived the concept of the hall to house the names of the martyrs who sacrifices themselves for the nation but a lack of enough funding prevented from its materialization. Later, the Board of Australian War Memorial constructed the hall with glass windows and mosaic and installed the sculpture within the hall. The mosaics on the pendentives of the dome are representation of the four arms of the services, one connoting to womens service as well. The hall was designed by Napier Waller and the windows of the dome represent the First World War. The glowing sun in the Southern Cross is reflective of the journey of the souls of the martyrs, depicted by the mosaics inside the dome towards their spiritual home. There are figures of airman, soldier, sailor and service woman on the walls that echoes the Australians experience in the Second World War. Janet Laurences design of the four pillars behind the tomb symbolizes the ancient elements of earth, namely air, water, earth and fire. All these symbolize the variety of climatic conditions and terrains on which the soldiers worked. The Hall was built in memories of the soldiers who fought relentlessly in the First World War. However, by the time it ended up with the construction, the Second World War broke out. Thus, the Hall was finally dedicated in the year 1959. The hall is considered the place of mausoleum, a place for contemplating and remembering the soldiers who sacrificed everything for the safety of their countrymen. Site Map and Features: The Hall of Memory is located in the heart of the Australian War Memorial. The location of the hall has been made in a way so that every visitor reaches the Hall after walking past the names of more than about 102,000 warriors who sacrificed their lives to serve the nation (Awm.gov.au, 2018). The Hall has been constructed in a way so that the sunrays fall directly on the Southern Cross, reflecting the eternal journey of the martyrs to Heaven. The Hall is located immediately within the public entry on its main south facade. The entrance renders a grand view of the Griffins land axis, connecting directly with the Parliament House. Visitors of the Memorial enter through the Commemorative Area, getting an introduction to the place not only with the presence of a museum, but also the memorial of the people who died in the war. The map of the Hall has been given below that shows its prime location at the heart of the Australian War Memorial. Figure 1: The site map of The Hall of Moments (Source: Dittmer and Waterton 2016) Cultural significance: The Australian War Memorial has been set up by the Board with collaborations of the Australian community, particularly the veterans and the families of the martyrs (Waterton and Dittmer 2014). This denotes the rich culture of the people of the nation that remembers the contribution of its soldiers. These associations are revalidated and reinforced on the ANZAC Day, with ceremonies reflecting the memories of some particular memorials on the parade, which has a huge participation from the folks of the country (Lloyd 2014). The Hall of Memory echoes the contribution of the martyrs for the country with its construction made in a way that has added to it significance. It reflects the socio-cultural as well as political scenario that led to deaths of innumerable soldiers in the war. The pillars symbolic of the elements of earth reflect the culture in a deeper sense. The Air pillar made of wood is reflective of flight and breath of the spirit of the martyrs that are left unchained and bounded to duties that led to their noble sacrifice. The pillar representing the element of fire is metallic whose edges are symbolic of swords that are tempered by flame. It is reflective of the energy and passion of the soldiers that enabled them to fight bravely in the wars. It equally pronounces the strong feeling of patriotism that the warriors had for the nation. The pillar of earth made of marble is associated with strength. The earth is where we live and finally return to. Thus, it culturally opines to the thought of permanence. The water pillar of glass reflects source of life and hints at the flow and change, which is constant. It connects the earthly bodies of the martyrs to their souls after death that suggests the flow in the change that occurs in the lives of these sol diers who are considered living even after their bodily death. All these help the new generations of the nation to feel and realize the sacrifices that the soldiers did for the sake of the nation. With the knowledge of the pillars in the Hall, the people can understand what determined the soldiers to perform the noble act. The Australians welcomed the First World War with enthusiasm and helped Britain fight against Germany (King 2014). Young men registered themselves in the army. All these are echoed in the Hall that enables the Australians today to go back to their historic past and acknowledge the situations the country faced. The hall is full of values and historical facts embedded within that demands heritage conservation of the place. With the change in cultural attitudes, it must be considered that the past does not become negligible since it serves to be the basis of any nation that has emerged. The incorporation of the tomb of the Australian soldier is also culturally enlivening for the young generations of the nations so that they also cultivate ethical and responsible duties within them for the nation they are living in. The inscription at the foot of the tomb identifies the soldier to be one of the many soldiers who lost their lives fighting for the country (Ziino 2015). These words also por tray him to be a representation of any person engaged in sacrificing one way or the other for his/her nation, culturally uplifting the generations to come. The place is not only a commemoration but has both emotional and spiritual connotations that it alludes to. The Australian War Memorial has been a place that preserves the past of the nation having a shrine, museum, archive and a collection of buildings that echoes the history. It serves to be a place for reflecting over the culture that the nation had and is equally a place for education and research. The high cultural and heritage values of the place have positioned it at a recognizable position in the Commonwealth Heritage List. References: Awm.gov.au. (2018). [online] Available at: https://www.awm.gov.au/sites/default/files/AWM%20Heritage%20Management%20Plan%20Jan%202011.pdf [Accessed 20 Mar. 2018]. Dittmer, J. and Waterton, E., 2016. 10 Embodied memory at the Australian War Memorial.Memory, Place and Identity: Commemoration and Remembrance of War and Conflict, p.169. King, A., 2014.Memorials of the Great War in Britain: the symbolism and politics of remembrance. Bloomsbury Publishing. Lloyd, D.W., 2014.Battlefield tourism: Pilgrimage and the commemoration of the Great War in Britain, Australia and Canada, 1919-1939. AC Black. Waterton, E. and Dittmer, J., 2014. The museum as assemblage: bringing forth affect at the Australian War Memorial.Museum Management and Curatorship,29(2), pp.122-139. Ziino, B., 2015. Australias unknown soldier: a powerful symbol of loss and faith.The Conversation, pp.1-1.