Join us as we reflect on the art, architecture and purpose of the Anzac Memorial.
Auditorium (Lower Ground Level)
On Monday 4 November from 11.30am, Deborah Beck OAM, Jacqueline Reid and Mathew Devine will present their insights into the Anzac Memorial in a special program of events.
Discover the lost images of Rayner Hoff and the works that were intended to adorn the Memorial, in a reflection on what might have been. Explore how communities have commemorated war service through physical memorials and the enduring relevance of war memorials within the Australian memorial-scape. Finally, reflect on the architecture of the Anzac Memorial as it was in its past and against changing perceptions in Australian architecture.
Tickets are $5 plus booking fee per presentation and include light refreshments. If you wish to attend the full program, please purchase a ticket for each presentation. The full program appears below.
Places are limited.
Program
11.30am to 12.30pm | Rayner Hoff – Reflections on a Sculptor and Teacher by Deborah Beck OAM
Deborah Beck OAM is a historian, author and artist who has exhibited her work widely. She is currently lecturer, archivist, and collections manager at the National Art School in Darlinghurst. Deborah’s 2017 biography Rayner Hoff: The life of a sculptor tells the story of Hoff’s life and work, and how he inspired the renaissance of sculpture in Australia after the Great War. Deborah’s continuing research of Hoff and his legacy has recently uncovered more on Hoff’s acknowledgement of the role of women in the Memorial, as well as many lost images of Hoff and his team, and the works that were intended to adorn the Anzac Memorial. A reflection on what might have been. Deborah will also be available after her presentation for a book-signing of Rayner Hoff: The life of a sculptor.
12.30pm to 12.50pm | Light refreshments break
1.00pm to 2.00pm | The Utility of Memory: The Anzac Memorial within the memorial-scape of New South Wales by Jacqueline Reid
Jacqueline Reid is the Exhibitions and Research Officer at the Anzac Memorial. She is presently writing her Doctor of Philosophy thesis on the history, role and purpose of war memorials in New South Wales. Jacqueline’s presentation, The Utility of Memory, will explore how our communities have commemorated war service through physical memorials, from the purely commemorative to the purely functional, with some achieving a balance of both. Her presentation will also contextualise objects from the Ninety Treasures of the Anzac Memorial Exhibition to demonstrate the enduring relevance of war memorials within the Australian memorial-scape.
2.00pm to 2.20pm | Light refreshments break
2.30pm to 3.30pm | Architecture of Reflection: Then and Now by Mathew Devine
Mathew Devine is a registered architect with a passion for architecture, design, community and history. He has worked across a wide spectrum of the architecture and heritage conservation industries in Sydney with insightful understanding of our broader Australian architecture and its history. He works as a Senior Strategic Planner at the City of Sydney and teaches heritage conservation at the University of Sydney. Mathew’s association with the Anzac Memorial goes back to his time at the Office of the NSW Government Architect; his presentation will reflect on the architecture of the Anzac Memorial as it was in its past and against changing perceptions in Australian architecture.
3.30pm to 3.50pm | Light refreshments and conclusion of the program