The Sir John Monash Centre and the Australian Remembrance Trail along the Western Front

The Sir John Monash Centre is an international standard interpretive centre sharing Australia’s story on the Western Front in the words of those who served.

Set on the grounds of the Villers-Bretonneux Military Cemetery in northern France, and adjacent to the Australian National Memorial, the Sir John Monash Centre was officially opened on 24 April 2018. The Centre’s experience is designed for visitors to gain a better understanding of the journey of ordinary Australians — told in their own words through letters, diaries, and life-size images — and connect with the places they fought and died.

This cutting-edge multimedia centre reveals the Australian First World War experience through a series of interactive media installations and immersive experiences. The SJMC app, downloaded on each visitor’s personal mobile device, acts as a ‘virtual tour guide’ over the Villers-Bretonneux Military Cemetery, the Australian National Memorial and the Sir John Monash Centre

A visit to the Sir John Monash Centre, the hub of the Australian Remembrance Trail, will be a moving experience that leaves a lasting impression.

The Australian Remembrance Trail along the Western Front

The Western Front touched the lives of countless Australian families during the First World War. Of the 295,000 Australians who served on the Western Front, more than 46,000 died and more than 130,000 Australians were wounded.

Today, the 200-kilometre Australian Remembrance Trail (ART) along the Western Front highlights the Australian experience of war in France and Belgium between mid-1916 and late 1918. The ART runs from Ypres, Belgium, near the site of the Battle of Passchendaele, through Fromelles, Bullecourt and Pozières to Villers-Bretonneux in northern France.  Along the Trail are battlefields, cemeteries, memorials, museums, and the imprints that Australian soldiers left on this landscape.

The ART builds upon and partners with the existing efforts of French and Belgian communities to commemorate Australian service, some of which date back to the 1920s.

Visitors can visit key locations where Australians fought and died, and immerse themselves in high-quality interpretive centres and museums, each telling a specific event in the Australian experience during the Great War.  

To learn more about the Australian Remembrance Trail please visit the Australians on the Western Front 1916-1918.

Download a digital copy of the Australian Remembrance Trail along the Western Front Brochure.

A map of the Australian Remembrance Trail along the Western Front.

The Battle of Fromelles Museum, at Fromelles in France.

The Plugstreet 1914-1918 Experience, at Ploegsteert in Belgium.

Franco-Australian Museum, at Villers-Bretonneux in France.