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This Thursday 6 August The University of Western Australia will commemorate one of the bloodiest chapters in Australia’s military history with the opening of Australians and War .

Australians and War is UWA’s calendar of events and exhibitions commemorating the Centenary of Anzac. Held as part of the UWA Cultural Precinct’s wider WINTERarts series, it includes a program of art, literature, discussion and academic research exploring conflict, the Anzac tradition and Australians’ complex relationship with war.

August 2015 marks the 100th anniversary of the bloody 'August Offensive' at Gallipoli, which includes the Battle of Lone Pine through to the Offensive for Hill 60. It also marks 70 years since the dropping of the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima and the surrender of Japanese forces.

“August 6th 1915 is a day seared in the national memory with the Battle of Lone Pine,” says Australians and War coordinator Ian Lilburne.

“Although technically a victory, the battle saw some of the fiercest fighting of all the ANZAC engagements at Gallipoli. After three days some 2,300 Australian men were either dead or wounded.”

The next day, while the battle at Lone Pine still raged at the other end of a low valley, another disastrous attack was underway - the Charge at the Nek, depicted most famously in Peter Weir’s Gallipoli .

Ian says, “By the end of that day, hundreds more Australians had been killed. Among the dead were Western Australian brothers Wilfred and Gresley Harper from Guildford, both killed while serving with the 10th Light Horse.

“With Australians and War we want to investigate and talk about the complex issues relating to war and the Anzac tradition. What was it like for returning soldiers, or people like the Harper brothers’ parents, who would never see their sons again? How did this change Australia as a whole, and what place does the Anzac tradition hold today?”

Australians and War incorporates the work of prominent academics; acclaimed national and international artists; UWA students and alumni; and new and emerging artists and writers. Events include:

• Art exhibitions, including George Coates’ Disabled soldier accompanied by a moving commentary from Professor Kim Beazley, Ambassador to the United States and former Minister of Defence, and Mud Blood and Gas, a series of six banner-size photographs by renowned West Australian artist Annette Thas that will be hung on the outside walls of the Octagon Theatre.
• Concerts, include a performance of Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem that features a 100-piece orchestra, more than 125 adult voices and a children’s choir.
• Lectures and symposia, including the intellectual hub of the program, War and Emotions .
• An exhibition on the geology of war
• Poetry readings by Well Versed and a special online publication of new student reflections on war by creative arts journal Trove
• A three-course themed dinner to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II, featuring a swing big band and dancing.

Australians and War opens with a reception at 5:30pm on Thursday 6 August at the Lawrence Wilson Art Gallery. Following the opening is a free concert at Winthrop Hall, commemorating the 70th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. From 6:45pm there will be a special vigil at the Reflective Pond, organised by the Australian Red Cross.

To view the full Australians and War program, visit culturalprecinct.uwa.edu.au/winterarts/anzac

Media references

For media enquiries and interviews contact John McCarten on 0403 900 193 or [email protected]

The Cultural Precinct maintains an extensive library of professional-quality photography. To request an image, contact Clare McFarlane on 08 6488 7806 or [email protected]