War Heritage Roadshow makes its final stop at Melbourne Museum

Infographic promo for the War Heritage Roadshow 2018.
The War Heritage Roadshow is designed to help preserve Australia’s wartime history, from the Boer War to the most recent conflicts, and give families and communities the tools to care for their memorabilia at home.

Families from across Melbourne are invited to show their pieces of wartime heritage to conservation experts, share their stories and get free advice on cleaning and care next Saturday 21 April and Sunday 22 April at Melbourne Museum.

The event is the final stop of a state-wide War Heritage Roadshow, which is a Victorian Government initiative being delivered by the University of Melbourne Grimwade Centre for Cultural Materials Conservation.

The roadshow is designed to help preserve Australia’s wartime history, from the Boer War to the most recent conflicts, and give families and communities the tools to care for their memorabilia at home.

Diaries, letters, photos, and flags are among the pieces of wartime memorabilia that will be examined at the Antiques Roadshow-inspired event featuring Australia’s top preservation and conservation experts.

“Melbourne has a long and proud military history and the roadshow will help Melbourne families learn about their war memorabilia and how it fits into Australian war history,” said Grimwade Centre Director Robyn Sloggett.

“Melbourne Museum is a fabulous and relevant venue to host the roadshow as their collection houses many significant military items documenting Victorian and Australian experience over more than one hundred years."

Alongside this free event,  visitors are encouraged to purchase entry to Museum to see World War I: Love & Sorrow, an exhibition featuring stories from soldiers and their families.

Minister for Veterans John Eren said the roadshow is part of the Victorian Government War Heritage and History Strategy to safeguard our wartime legacy for future generations.

"Many Victorians hold wartime artefacts important to their family story – and we want to make sure they can stay safely in family hands,” Mr Eren said.

“The roadshow will provide a wonderful opportunity for Victorians to learn how to care for their precious wartime objects.”

The final War Heritage Roadshow will be held at Melbourne Museum, 11 Nicholson Street, Carlton, on Saturday and Sunday 19-20 April, 10am-4pm.