Role of the Office of Australian War Graves

The tasks of establishing and maintaining war graves is shared between the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) and the Office of Australian War Graves (OAWG). The tasks of providing post-war commemoration and establishing and maintaining overseas memorials lie with the OAWG alone.

See: Commonwealth War Graves Commission website

Background

There are over 66 000 Australian war dead in identified graves around the world. Another 35 000 whose remains were never found or who lie in unidentified graves, or whose remains were cremated, commemorated on Memorials to the Missing. In Australia itself there are over 12 000 war dead buried in hundreds of war and civil cemeteries, with over 1 000 named on Memorials to the Missing, and some commemorated in OAWG Gardens of Remembrance.

In cemeteries and OAWG Gardens of Remembrance throughout Australia there are post-war commemorations to hundreds of thousands who have died post-war of war-related causes.

At certain historic sites across the world, memorials have been established and dedicated to the Australians who fought, suffered and died, far from home, in the defence of their country and its allies.

Functions

The official functions of OAWG are to:

liase with the CWGC[2] regarding the maintenance of the war graves and the Memorials to the Missing for Australian service personnel who died in WW1 and WW2.
maintain war cemeteries, individual war graves and commemorations of WW1 and WW2 dead within Australia and the Pacific region [1], as agent of CWGC[2]
provide and maintain the graves and official commemorations of members of the Australia armed forces who have died in conflicts and operations since WW2;
provide and maintain official commemorations for eligible Australian veterans who have died post-war of causes related to their service[3]
provide and maintain national memorials at certain overseas sites significant to Australia's military history [4]

See:

In carrying out these functions, OAWG also:

keeps records relating to:

Commonwealth war dead of the two world wars [5]
Australian war dead from conflicts and operations since WW2
official post-war commemorations

welcomes enquiries from members of the public about locating particular graves or commemorations, whether within Australia or overseas
when requested by relatives unable to visit themselves, arranges photographs of individual war graves and post-war commemorations, both in Australia and overseas
issues permission to use a Service Badge on privately erected memorials
maintains the graves and memorials of Australian Prime Ministers and Governors-General on behalf of the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts
produces and publishes pamphlets and videos
provides input into the DVA annual report
produces a periodic OAWG journal.

See:

Commonwealth War Graves Commision- CWGC

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission's charter is to mark and maintain graves and memorials for members of the Commonwealth forces, including Australians, who died during the two world wars [6].

As a member nation of the CWGC, Australia, through the OAWG, contributes to the cost of the Commision activities. As an agent of the CWGC the OAWG maintain CWGC cemetries and memorials in Australia, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Norfolk Island.

Adelaide River War Cemetery

Stone of Remembrance at Sydney War Cemetery

ACT Garden of Remembrance

Footnotes

Specifically, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands (Guadalcanal) and Norfolk Island.
This responsibility is covered by a formal agreement between Australia and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, signed on 1 January 1975.
The authority for this program is a War Cabinet Decision of 10 March 1922, which has been reconfirmed by several subsequent decisions.
On behalf of the Australian Government.
As does the CWGC, with records searchable via the CWGC website.
As specified in the Royal Charter which established CWGC in 1917: the 1914-1918 War (technically from 04/08/1914 - 31/08/1921); and the 1939-1945 war (03/09/1939 - 31/12/1947).

See further: Search for records on Commonwealth War Graves Commission website