The National Anzac Centre: A First World War Museum in Albany WA
The National Anzac Centre is a First World War museum in Albany, at 70 Forts Road within the grounds of the heritage-listed Princess Royal Fortress. We opened on 1 November 2014, and we use multimedia, interactive technology and historical artefacts to connect visitors with the experience of the Great War and to pay tribute to those who served. The Centre is operated by the City of Albany.
One Person’s War, Followed From Recruitment to Return
The experience here works differently to most museums. On arrival you assume the identity of an actual service man or woman and follow their war. Their story starts at recruitment and continues through training, embarkation, life on the convoys and the conflicts at Gallipoli, in the Middle East and on the Western Front. As you move through the Centre, watch for a display dedicated to your character. At the end of the journey you learn their fate, and for those who came home, what the return was like and how difficult it was to adjust.
The interpretive content was developed by the Western Australian Museum and the Australian War Memorial, and it is delivered through a series of interactive visual and audible displays. The Centre is known for commemorating the war through the stories of the Anzacs rather than arguing a pro-war or anti-war position.
The Site, and Why It Is Here
The location was chosen for its sense of place. The Centre looks out across King George Sound, and the architecture is built around that view: a telescopic outlook over the water where the convoys gathered before they left. That is the reason Albany matters to this story at all.
We run in conjunction with the Princess Royal Fortress, one of only two pre-federation fortresses built to protect intercontinental trade routes. All mainland Australian colonies contributed to its cost, which was rare cooperation before federation. The convoys chose King George Sound to assemble because of the protection the Fortress could give the fleet; without it they would never have gathered in those numbers in one place. Entry to the Fortress grounds is free, with gold coin donations encouraged, and you can walk among the original gun batteries, the coastal gun defences and the barracks where officers lived and worked. Albany Heritage Park volunteers give free talks about the site’s history at scheduled times when available.
Planning a Visit
Practical Information
- Opening hours: open 7 days a week, 9:00am to 5:00pm, with last entry at 4:00pm. Open on all public holidays except Christmas Day.
- Tickets: available online, at the front counter inside the Centre, or at The Forts Store. There is no timed entry and no need to pre-purchase; if we are at capacity the wait is usually five to ten minutes. Cash, EFTPOS, Visa and Mastercard are accepted, with contactless preferred.
- Serving and ex-service personnel: a 50% discount applies with a valid current serviceperson ID or an Australian or New Zealand Department of Veterans’ Affairs card. Entry is free for Australian and New Zealand serving military personnel in uniform.
- Re-entry: you may leave and return the same day by showing your receipt.
- Access: we accept the Companion Card. There are step-free outdoor pathways, a step-free entrance and no interior steps, a wheelchair accessible toilet and change room, ACROD parking, and information provided in audio format. The Convoy Walk and Lookout is paved and wheelchair friendly but steep, and some visitors using a wheelchair may need assistance to reach the top.
- Amenities: toilets in the Centre and in an ablution block near The Forts Store, a water fountain outside the store, and picnic tables and barbecues under a covered shelter at the rear. Bring your own cooking utensils.
The Forts Store sits in what was once the Military Institute and opens 9am to 4pm daily, stocking giftware, memorabilia, military-themed toys and a large range of military fiction and non-fiction. Garrison Restaurant and Bar also operates within the Fortress grounds.
How the Centre Is Funded
The $10.6 million construction and fit-out was funded entirely by the Federal and Western Australian Governments, but the Centre receives no ongoing funding. Every dollar from entry fees goes to running and maintaining the Centre, the Princess Royal Fortress and other attractions within Albany Heritage Park, including the Desert Mounted Corps Memorial. It is run commercially but not for profit.
Locals should know about the League of Local Legends, which is free to join for anyone living in the Great Southern or rating with the City of Albany, and which exists to give the community better access to the Centre. For general enquiries, email [email protected] or call 6820 3500. Commercial group organisers should contact the Administration Officer at the same address.