News location:

Saturday, October 24, 2026 | Digital Edition | Crossword & Sudoku

War Memorial’s future glimpse of the past

A section of the diorama show the Interfet naval landing

Generations of children and their adults have been captivated by the dioramas at the Australian War Memorial and now the memorial is taking a leap into the 21st century.

The memorial has released imagery of a diorama depicting Australian troops making an amphibious landing in Dili, Timor-Leste as the International Force East Timor peacekeeping operation began.

This latest addition comes right before the 25th anniversary of the Interfet on Friday.

David Sutton, senior historian for the memorial’s new Peacekeeping: 1947 to Today gallery, said the diorama reconstructs day two of Interfet operations, when the Royal Australian Navy landed hundreds of Australian Army troops.

Reconstructed Dili landing

Interfet was the Australian-led peacekeeping mission between 1999 and 2000.

The largest deployment of Australian troops since Vietnam, it included Australian Defence Force personnel from the Navy, Army and Air Force, who began landing in the then East Timor on September 20, 1999.

The visual reconstruction is based on thousands of hours of research of archives, photographic records, and face-to-face interviews with veterans and East Timorese people who were there.

But the public will have to wait to see it in person. The diorama will be on display when the new Anzac Hall, which is now under development, opens in 2026.

News all day, every day at CityNewsQBN.com.au.

Helen Musa

Helen Musa

Share this

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*

*

Related Posts

Art

Arresting worlds of webs, digital and analog

"The major work of the exhibition is a massive six-metre wide and 1.5-metre deep screen print in 36 joined frames. Titled Spider Warrior, Girl Protector, Infinite Internet, it takes your breath away." writes reviewer DAVID WHITBREAD.

Reviews

Lean team captures the Hanging Rock mystery

"If you come expecting the lushness and atmospherics of the 1975 film you will find instead a steady clear rendition of the bones of the novel." ALANNA MACLEAN reviews Chaika Theatre's haunting production of Picnic at Hanging Rock.

Theatre

Mockingbird raises the curtain on its third act

Canberra’s Mockingbird Theatrics is spreading its wings with an ambitious 11-play season for 2027, as Chris Baldock’s independent theatre company enters its third year as company-in-residence at Belconnen Arts Centre.

Follow us on Instagram @canberracitynews