War and photography have a close association in Australian history. Some of Australia’s first photographs were taken by military figures, and the country’s military culture has been a regular subject of professional and amateur photographs since the mid-nineteenth century. Many of these photographs have become Australian icons and play a vital role in the nation’s memory. Many of the key examples from this history are held in the Australian War Memorial’s collection of photographs, a collection established to honour the men and women who served Australia in times of war. It now stands as one of the country’s largest and most historically significant photographic archives.

Contact presents the first, authoritative survey of the Memorial’s photographic collection and of the history of Australian war photography more broadly. It features over 200 photographs, drawn from the work of the many official, commercial, and amateur photographers who have recorded the Australian experience of war. These beautifully reproduced images provide a sense of the breadth of the Memorial’s collection, and include many of its best-known works. Contact also uncovers many of the collection’s hidden treasures, including the work of the many soldiers and nurses who privately photographed their own experience of war, and the photographs displayed in Australian homes to commemorate the service of family members. These photographs are reproduced alongside a detailed discussion of the history of Australian war photography and the Memorial’s photographic collection. Together, pictures and words present a powerful account of the important place these photographs hold in Australian memory.