The Australian War Memorial treads lightly on the Budget as the spending on the Big Build winds down (new capital appropriations of $120.6m in 2025-26 down to $32.0m in 2026-27). There are extra staff (average staffing level increase from 323 in 2025-26 to 353 in 2026-27) to work in the expanding building. The future for the Australian Wars ('frontier wars') is set out in one sentence on the completion of the redevelopment program, 'including the delivery of revitalised pre-1914 galleries featuring a broader and deeper representation of the frontier wars'.
One of the 'core operations' of the Memorial is 'Raising awareness of, and to acknowledge and respect, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander service for Australia and experiences in all wars and conflict'. The words in bold are an oblique reference to the Australian Wars.
Reference: Department of Veterans' Affairs, Portfolio Budget Statement, 2026-27.
Picture credit: view of the Parade Ground and Stone of Remembrance at the Memorial from the new front steps, December 2024 (supplied)
