Projects

The Shrine Trustees are empowered to care for, maintain and preserve the Shrine and Shrine Reserve and to develop, promote, facilitate and organise educational activities, exhibitions and ceremonial activities in relation to the service of Australians in conflicts and peacekeeping operations.

In order to carry out these duties the Shrine is committed to a number of projects in areas such as environmental sustainability, commemoration and long-term development planning.

Environmental Sustainability

The Shrine Reserve makes it easy for Trustees to understand the value of preserving and enhancing our environment wherever possible. As a result the Shrine is committed to improving its environmental sustainability and reducing its impact on water resources, climate, wildlife and other elements of the environment.

The Shrine's first major environmental project was the Rainwater Harvesting Project, through which approximately 15 million litres of water will be saved. Following the success of this project the Shrine has turned its attention to reducing energy usage and is investigating potential energy savings in lighting costs. In particularl the project will examine the feasibility of replacing the Ambulatory lighting with much more efficient LED based systems and will examine more efficient ways to light the building at night.

The Shrine Reserve

The Shrine Reserve has been the scene of several  recent improvements including the upgrade of the Gallipoli Garden, Ex-Servicewomen's memorial cairn and garden and the beginning of the 5 year Landscape Improvement Plan. This plan, now in its second year, has seen the replacement of a number of drought affected trees with drought resistant local varieties and will see the addition of more than 200 trees over the 5 year span of the plan.

Commemoration

Commemoration remains the heart of the Shrine and the focus of many of our projects. As well as planning for the upcoming First World War centenaries, including the anniversary of the landings at Gallipoli in 2015, the Shrine continues to refine its Galleries of Remembrance expansion plan. These plans will ensure the Shrine is well placed to cater for the expected demand in education, exhibition and ceremonial services to mark the many important centenaries of the events of 1914-18.

The Shrine's other major commemorations project is its Second World War Rolling Scroll of Honour. This project will see the names of all those Second World War servicemen and women who were born or signed up in Victoria honoured in the Hall of Columns with a digitally based rolling scroll of honour. This project will paralell the First World War Books of Remembrance and will ensure that the men and women who fought both World Wars are appropriately honoured at the Shrine.