AN exhibition portraying the events of World War I from the perspective of the men and women who endured and fought battles alongside Allied nations will be on display at the Frankston Arts Centre until 12 December.
The ‘Australia Will Be There: Victorians in the First World War (1914-1919)’ exhibition, a travelling exhibition from Melbourne’s Shrine of Remembrance, features photographs and historical documents mapping out the war from the landings at Gallipoli to the battles in Palestine, Passchendaele and Fromelles.
Away from the frontline, the exhibition focuses on the wartime experiences of the people of Victoria, their contribution to the war effort and the growing social divisions around the bitterly contested but unsuccessful conscription referenda in 1916 and 1917.
Shrine of Remembrance exhibitions and collections director Jean McAuslan said the travelling exhibition honours the centenary of World War I.
“It looks at what the war cost in terms of lost lives but also lives that were never the same again. It was a horrendous experience for the world and resonated throughout the generations.
“Wars don’t just end on a given day – there are consequences.”
See shrine.org.au/australiawillbethere for full details.