On this page:
- Chair's report
- The Shrine of Remembrance Act 1978
- Vision, mission and values
- Chief Executive Officer's report
- 2020-21 review of operations
- Corporate Services
- Public Programs
- Visitor Engagement
- Marketing
- Fundraising
- Outlook for 2021–22
- Organisational structure and responsibilities
- The Shrine community
- Trustees
- Life Governors and Governors
- Chief Executive Officer and executive team
- Volunteers
- The Shrine Guard
- Shrine staff
- Governance
- Financial Report 2020-21
- Disclosure index
- Appendix
- Key supporters
Chair's report
Report made by the recently appointed Chair of the Shrine of Remembrance Trustees, Captain Stephen Bowater OAM RAN.
The Hon Shaun Leane MP
Minister for Veterans
Level 16, 121 Exhibition Street
MELBOURNE VIC 3000
Dear Minister
As recently appointed Chair of the Shrine of Remembrance Trustees it is my pleasure to submit the Shrine of Remembrance’s 2020–2021 Annual Report.
I am delighted to have been appointed to the role of Chair and am humbled by the privilege granted me in leading the Shrine in pursuit of its enduring purpose to honour the service and sacrifice of Victorians and Australians in war, conflict, peacemaking and peacekeeping.
Through discussions with my fellow trustees and observations made since my appointment, it is clear that the Shrine has been well stewarded by the board and is prepared to meet and overcome the current challenges presented by the changed visitor market conditions.
The flexibility and creativity demonstrated by the Shrine’s staff, Life Governors, Governors and volunteers in responding to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has been nothing short of outstanding. Therefore, I am confident that we possess the passion and capability to be bold as we direct the Shrine and its programming to meet the needs of the Victorian Veteran community. With your support, we intend to advance the Shrine’s standing in the consciousness of contemporary veterans, Victorians and Australians for the benefit of future generations.
I am encouraged in this by the positive engagement you have demonstrated in supporting the Shrine through achieving funding for restoration works to the heritage listed monument stairs and light towers. And with an eye to our future, in facilitating resources to allow construction of an accessible ramp and major security infrastructure upgrades to serve our needs and protect our community. I look forward to working in partnership with you and the whole of Victorian Government in the coming years.
As I reflect on my role and the service and commitment of preceding Chairs of the Shrine of Remembrance, I wish to acknowledge and express my appreciation to outgoing Chairman Air Vice-Marshal Chris Spence AO (Retd). His safe hands and sound leadership have put me in a strong position to continue our work.
Captain Stephen Bowater OAM RAN
Chair of the Shrine of Remembrance Trustees
The Shrine of Remembrance Act 1978
The Shrine of Remembrance Act establishes the Shrine of Remembrance Trustees with the responsibility for the care, management, maintenance and preservation of the Shrine and its Reserve on behalf of the people of Victoria.
The Minister for Veterans is the Minister responsible for the Shrine of Remembrance Act 1978 (the Act).
The Act provides guidance to Trustees on their duties and overarching functions. The Act was amended in September 2011 to include the following core functions in the powers and duties of Trustees:
(a) responsibility for the care, management, maintenance and preservation of the Shrine of Remembrance –
(i) as a memorial to honour the service and sacrifice of Victorians and Australians in war, conflict, peacekeeping and peacemaking; and
(ii) as a site of national, State and cultural significance; and
(b) the development, promotion, management and the staging of ceremonial activities and events to commemorate the service and sacrifice of Victorians and Australians in war, conflict, peacekeeping and peacemaking, including, but not limited to, wreath laying and other ceremonial or commemorative activities; and
(c) the development, promotion, management and implementation of public programs to inform, educate and promote understanding among Victorians and visitors about the history, experience, service and sacrifice of Victorians and Australians in war, conflict, peacekeeping and peacemaking, including, but not limited to, exhibitions, lectures, publications, school learning and outreach programs. Ten Trustees are appointed by the Governor in Council on the recommendation of the Minister.
The Trustees act as a body corporate whose powers and duties are outlined in Section 4 of the Act, which states:
(1) The trustees –
(a) shall be responsible for the care, management, maintenance and improvement of the reserved land;
(b) may to the exclusion of all other bodies or persons –
(i) provide and sell; and
(ii) authorise the manufacture, printing, publishing, display and sale of replicas, photographs, booklets, pamphlets and other like matter relating to the said monument;
(c) may receive moneys by way of –
(i) collections or donations;
(ii) proceeds of sales by the trustees of such replicas, photographs, booklets, pamphlets and other like matter; or
(iii) fees for authorities granted by the trustees for the manufacture, printing, publishing, display and sale of such replicas, photographs, booklets, pamphlets and other like matter – for the funds of the trustees;
(ca) in relation to the undercroft land –
(i) may charge fees for entry into the undercroft land, including concessional fees; and
(ii) may determine the mechanisms for charging concessional fees; and
(iii) may exempt in a specified case or class of case any person or class of persons from payment of fees;
(d) have and shall be deemed always to have had power to pay out of the funds of the trustees such gratuities or retiring allowances as they think fit to such persons as they think fit being persons who are or have been employed by them for the purposes of carrying into effect the provisions of this Act.
(1A) Without limiting any power, duty or function under this Act, the trustees may carry out the powers, duties and functions of the trustees under this section –
(a) within the Shrine of Remembrance; and
(b) elsewhere on the reserved land; and
(c) in places in Victoria other than at the Shrine of Remembrance or on the reserved land.
(2) Any funds of the trustees provided pursuant to the provisions of this Act or any Act hereafter enacted shall be available only for the purposes of carrying into effect the provisions of this Act.
(3) Any moneys received by the trustees whether from the Treasurer of Victoria or the Melbourne City Council or as the result of public subscriptions or otherwise shall be paid into the funds of the trustees and shall be applied for the purpose of carrying into effect the provisions of this Act.
Vision, mission and values
Vision
That all Victorians remember, value and commemorate service and sacrifice.
Mission
To engage all Victorians in commemoration through reflection, ceremony, education and learning.
Values
The Shrine will adhere to and be known for the values of integrity, loyalty, service, respect and inclusion.
Chief Executive Officer's report
Dean M Lee is the Chief Executive Officer of the Shrine of Remembrance.
The unique challenges emerging in the final quarter of the prior year dominated in 2020–21. The Shrine and its peer civic institutions closed repeatedly, sustaining less than four months continuous trading in the year. Public caution, international border closures and the threat of domestic lockdowns obliterated patronage in the intervening opening periods and uncertainty overlaid all planning.
The world changed, and we were caused to change with it. Laudable in this context was the sustained resilience, flexibility, commitment and creativity of the Shrine team. Their collective performance was remarkable and – despite the challenges – enabled strong performance in pursuit of the Shrine’s purpose and strategic objectives.
Our nascent digital production efforts developed rapidly, becoming the primary engagement channel for all ceremonial, education and public programming. Collectively, these digital initiatives reached a state, national and global audience of almost 650,000 people: underpinning total engagement at 97 per cent of our annual target of 750,000. This would not have been achieved without direct financial support from the Victorian Government that allowed us to install production facilities and live streaming infrastructure in the Sanctuary of the monument and on the Second World War Memorial Forecourt.
This success aside, reduced on-site visitation severely impacted all self-funding activities. With no financial relief available to offset these shortfalls we faced significant challenges in maintaining programming and retaining staff. Pleasingly we were successful in these efforts. The Shrine reports a small surplus for the year before depreciation and amortisation, the result of prudent management and strong performance of our investments.
In the absence of on-site staff for much of the year, I must record our great appreciation for the support provided by Victoria Police and members of the Protective Services Unit and Shrine Guard. Their sustained efforts in supporting our commemorative services, maintaining the security of the Shrine and ensuring its protection in the face of multiple anti lockdown protest groups were exemplary. We are extremely grateful for their support.
I also wish to acknowledge with thanks the nearly $500,000 of financial and in-kind support provided by the City of Melbourne. This helped sustain the Shrine’s financial, administrative and human resource functions throughout the year and ensured the Shrine Reserve was maintained to the highest standard: offering a place of quiet reflection and respite to our community.
The Shrine Trustees extended significant faith and goodwill to the executive team throughout the year as we responded to the dynamic operating environment. I thank them for their support and especially wish to recognise the active and sage guidance provided to me by Shrine Chairman, Air ViceMarshal Chris Spence AO (Retd). Chris retired in February 2021 following nine-years’ commendable service to the Shrine, including realisation of the Centenary of ANZAC, Galleries of Remembrance project.
As we enter the new year, we accept a new normal in which the market and operating environment will remain dynamic. While continuing to face financial hurdles arising from increasing costs and repressed trading conditions, we are well prepared to perform in this environment and look forward to applying the learnings of the past year – building upon successes and opening our minds to new opportunities under the leadership of recently appointed Shrine Chair, Captain Stephen Bowater OAM RAN.
Sincerely
Dean M Lee
Chief Executive Officer
2020-21 review of operations
The year 2021–21 presented challenges unprecedented in the Shrine’s history. In these unique circumstances, the Shrine’s trustees, Life Governors, Governors staff and volunteers were called upon to identify and enact novel solutions in the continued pursuit of the Shrine’s purpose and strategic objectives. That we were largely successful is testament to the commitment, resilience and creativity of all involved.
Responding to Victorian Government COVIDSafe requirements, the Shrine re-opened in November 2020, operating under varying coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic restrictions since. Mitigating measures implemented include capacity management, contact tracing, physical distancing and enhanced hygiene protocols. Compliance with restrictions has shaped the development and delivery of all aspects of visitor engagement including general visitation and the ceremonial program.
The following review of operations is to be considered in this context of service delivery to a community confronted and constrained by the necessarily mandated responses to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Corporate Services
The Corporate Services team – comprising information communication technology (ICT), finance, HR, facility maintenance, corporate governance and compliance – works closely with the Visitor Experience and Public Programs teams and various external parties to safeguard and maintain the Shrine and ensure that administration and operations are managed efficiently.
These are the significant project and improvement works that were completed.
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- Internal audits of Business Continuity Framework and Asset Management Accountability Framework
- Implementation of Social Procurement Strategy
- Accomplishment of Victorian Data Protection Security Standards
- Site security review
- Town planning in relation to local development projects and signage
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- Upgrade to the Ray of Light in the Sanctuary
- Continued changeover of lighting to LED technology, to reduce energy costs and support of low vision visitors
- Staged replacement of HVAC Environmental plant
- Sanctuary Control & Public Address Refurbishment Project
- Visitor Centre Digital Donor Board
- CCTV Upgrade Project (Stage 2)
- Service Level Agreement for ICT–IT Support
- Relocation of Fire Hydrant Booster to St Kilda Road
- Trustee Honour Board updates
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- Update to customer relationship management system
- Design of new payroll system in conjunction with City of Melbourne
- Selection, implementation and design of new retail and accounting systems
- Digital Information Audit, including consolidation of multimedia assets, marketing digital collateral and newly created digital production content
- Further development of live stream webcasting infrastructure, extending coverage to the Sanctuary
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ICT upgrades in support of remote digital engagement, including:
- deployment of laptops to executive and management team
- boardroom video conferencing
- desktop upgrades to support remote meetings
- education program delivery.
Public Programs
Public Programs comprises exhibition programs, community programs, collections, education, volunteers, young ambassadors and sponsorship.
Shrine collection
The Shrine continues to collect selectively for display. This year, a diverse range of items was brought into the collection.
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- A substantial donation of 112 wartime propaganda posters spanning the First World War through to recent peacekeeping missions was gifted by the Australian War Memorial.
- A reconstructed Beaufort Bomber gun turret was installed in the Galleries. The project was undertaken by the Australian Aviation Heritage Centre.
- A unique hand-drawn trench map of Courtney's Post, Gallipoli sketched by Captain Stewart Hansen MC and dated 6 May 1915. Lieutenant Colonel Richard Courtney, commander of the 14th Battalion, is believed to have carried the map with him throughout the war and returned it to Hansen's parents on his return.
- We also received a selection of works on paper by renowned artist Dean Bowen as part of the cultural gifts program.
Shrine exhibitions
The following special exhibitions provided in-depth exploration and alternative perspectives in support of the Shrine's broader programming. All our current special exhibitions have enjoyed an extended run due to the closures in 2020.
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This exhibition showcases the work of photographer John Williams as he reflected on the impact of the First World War on Australian culture and society. It includes some of his most iconic images from his Anzac Day series, his War Portraits series, and a selection of works never exhibited in his lifetime.
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Celebrated contemporary artist Dean Bowen explores the tragic story of the sinking of the Australian Hospital Ship Centaur on 14 May 1943. The exhibition features a specially commissioned animation of Bowen's charcoal drawings of the Centaur tragedy by Japanese visual artist Ayumi Sasaki. This digital work enabled audiences to get a taste of the exhibition online before visiting in person.
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Immerses visitors in the visual world of three contemporary artists who explore their experience as modern-era veterans. Using painting, sculpture and street art, each artist interrogates notions of identity, dislocation and resilience. Art has not only become therapy for these recent veterans, but also a powerful voice to communicate with the wider community.
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This touring exhibition presents incredible stories of human endurance and poignant personal narratives of loss and reconciliation. Stories of conflict and resettlement encompass the experiences of veterans and migrants who came to Australia seeking safety and peace.
The exhibition spent 2020 in storage. In 2021 it has enjoyed strongly successful runs at Walker St Gallery, Dandenong; The Cube, Frankston; and Central Goldfields Art Gallery, Maryborough.
There is strong interest in the exhibition and we have bookings throughout regional Victoria into mid-2023. As part of our move to digital engagement, many of the stories are now also available on the Shrine website
Student education
The Shrine’s student education programs are aligned with the national curriculum and engage students onsite in learning about commemoration, wartime history and the shaping of the Australian nation.
Education programming in 2020–21 diversified nimbly in the face of changing conditions. Virtual tours and workshops were successfully delivered to over 5,000 students in 2020. In 2021 we welcomed students onsite in reduced numbers to ensure safe operations. Over 16,000 students made an onsite visit in 2021.
Thanks to the generosity of the Portland House Foundation, excursions for 100 students and 10 community groups were funded allowing them to attend the Shrine’s touring exhibition.
School holiday activities for families
The focus on family activities this year has been the Shrine Kids activity cards. These provide families a series of activities to help them engage in an age-appropriate way. A successful social media campaign promoting the cards combined with a TV campaign saw an increase in families visiting us over the January and April holidays. We plan to return to guided tours and drop-in activities in upcoming holiday periods.
Public learning program
The Shrine maintained its commitment to provide community education of the highest standard. Public presentations and special events engaged members of the community in Melbourne and in regional Victoria through talks, workshops and lectures – primarily delivered through digital channels. A sustainable wreathmaking workshop marked the resumption of onsite public presentations. Attendees to lectures onsite were joined by audiences online via live stream, increasing audience engagement by 1,900 per cent.
Digital production
Digital programming was a major focus in 2020–21, the fluid restriction levels necessitating an innovative approach to content creation and delivery. During the Stage 4 lockdown, Second World War veterans were interviewed as part of the Victorian Government funded ‘World War II at Home’ project and curator’s talks on the Imagining Centaur exhibition and Beaufort aircraft manufacturing in Victoria were all live streamed and made available on digital platforms. A new ‘Places of Remembrance’ video series profiling the 321 memorials and memorial trees across the Shrine Reserve has also proved popular.
In November 2020, the Remembrance magazine launched as a digital-only magazine. Readership of our first digital issue has reached an audience greater than 1,500 people, exceeding the readership of the previous physical copy by at least 1,000 readers.
Volunteers
The Shrine volunteer program was suspended for much of 2020–21. Volunteers began returning to the Shrine in March 2021 to resume their normal activities: engaging visitors onsite, providing support to deliver the education and ceremonial programs and delivering talks to community groups – both onsite and offsite. Safety concerns caused some volunteers to delay their return. We maintain contact via newsletters and video conferencing.
The Shrine Young Ambassadors
The Shrine Young Ambassador program provides an opportunity for 10 students in years 9/10 to participate in programs and commemorative events at the Shrine and to develop leadership skills. We acknowledge their contributions in FY2021. Due to the extended closures in 2020, we invited the 2020 Young Ambassadors to serve another 12-month term. All but one were able to extend, and we welcomed one new Young Ambassador for 2021.
Visitor Engagement
The Visitor Experience team covers ceremonial programs, retail, revenue development, visitor services and Shrine friends.
Visitation
Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic restrictions and associated international border closures and uncertainty in the domestic tourism sector have collectively caused visitation to collapse by more than 500,000 people. This has had material impact on our self-funding activities. Despite this, marked success in delivering digital programming has allowed us to engage more than 730,000 people in our commemorative purpose.
Ceremonial program
Providing for the commemorative needs of veterans and the community is one of the Shrine’s primary functions. More than 359,000 people – including veterans, students and members of the public in Victoria, elsewhere in Australia and overseas attended or watched a live stream of the 144 commemorative services delivered at the Shrine or online during the year.
Live streaming of all commemorative services ensured that we maintained our relationships with Victoria’s commemorative community. The Shrine has since become adept at delivering hybrid physical/virtual commemorative programming and, with the support of the Victorian State Government, installed permanent live streaming infrastructure to stream our commemorative program to the world.
Last Post Service
The Last Post Service was suspended during our closure periods and recommenced in December 2020. The service continues to achieve its aims with both veteran participants and attendees reporting positive engagement and feedback. Participation at the weekly service has been strong with up to 200 people joining us on the Second World War Memorial Forecourt at 4.45pm on Sundays.
The Last Post Service is proving to be an integral pillar to the implementation of the Shrine’s program strategy with events commemorated scheduled to connect with special exhibitions and other programming.
2020–21 major services
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This year, both the Dawn Service and Veterans’ March were conducted as COVIDSafe events under the Public Events Framework administered by DHHS and DJPR.
The Anzac Day Dawn Service was a limited capacity event with contact tracing requirements requiring ticketed attendance for a maximum of 1,400 people. This and the associated control measures drew criticism from some sectors of the community and media.
Her Excellency, the Honourable Linda Dessau AC, Governor of Victoria, was joined by the Official Party in the Sanctuary as she placed a single wreath at the Stone of Remembrance in a solemn service. The service was broadcast to an audience exceeding 55,000 on ABC television and live streamed via the Shrine’s social channels and co-hosted by several other organisations resulting in total engagement exceeding 100,000 views.
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In an unbroken tradition of honouring service and sacrifice on 11 November, the Victorian State Remembrance Day Service for 2020 was delivered as a hybrid virtual and physical event under Stage 3 COVID restrictions. A suite of programming leading up to Remembrance Day resulted in strong engagement and more than 44,500 views of the live streamed service and Ray of Light broadcast.
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Ordinarily a major feature in the Shrine’s ceremonial calendar, this solemn day of reflection for Victorian students was cancelled due to the pandemic.
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Each year, as part of National Reconciliation Week, services are held across Australia to commemorate the service of Indigenous Australians in the Australian Defence Force. The Victorian Aboriginal Remembrance Service 2021, scheduled for 31 May 2021, was postponed due to COVID restrictions.
Friends of the Shrine program
Active promotion during the year allowed Friends membership sales to exceed targets. The Friends program directly engages members through Friends socials, public programs, special exhibition launch invitations and priority seating at major services. Friends also receive complimentary editions of the Shrine magazine Remembrance.
Retail and tour groups
Repeated closures have resulted in a dramatic reduction in visitation and significant changes to our visitor profile. With suppressed visitation and ongoing border closures both our retail and tour licensing revenue fell short of targets.
A revised Shrine Tour format introduced this year has proven successful. The increase in frequency, updated content and reduction in tour price and duration resulted in increased uptake.
Marketing
Major campaigns throughout the year included Remembrance Day, Anzac Day and the weekly Last Post Service. A television commercial campaign on Network Seven – supported by regional press and multicultural radio – resulted in an immediate uplift in summer visitation.
Digital engagement remained a key focus of marketing activity, with total engagement of 645,980 – an 80% increase on the previous year. Support from Federation Square, Vicinity Shopping Centres, City of Melbourne and Herald Sun allowed us to extend the reach of our major campaigns through their delivery of our digital content.
The new Shrine website provided enhanced utility, allowing rapid response to changing conditions and a platform to host a multitude of rich content, notably live stream broadcasts of the Shrine’s commemorative services. We saw strong growth in social media audiences and engagement with an increased focus on community management and targeted advertising.
An external public relations agency was engaged to maximise positive profile opportunities. Highlights included a front-page story in the Saturday Age Spectrum lift out, multiple radio interviews and a feature on Channel Nine News.
A refreshed visual identity in the coming year will position the Shrine as a relevant and welcoming place for all, create utility within the brand across various applications, and enhance recognition.
Fundraising
The Shrine Foundation attracted significant support through a range of fundraising activities:
- securing grants
- attracting donations
- gaining support from philanthropists personally committed to commemoration.
Outlook for 2021–22
The ongoing response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic will continue to dominate political, social and economic activity in 2021–22.
The Shrine's budget and business plan reflect the past year's experience operating in the COVID-constrained market and operating conditions. They anticipate continuing demand side disruption with international borders remaining closed and domestic travel inhibited by concerns relating to snap lockdowns and border closures.
Management has judiciously considered how the Shrine may fulfil its responsibilities (as established in the Act and in the Minister's Statement of Government Priorities) and manage costs in a visitor revenue constrained environment while delivering public programs aligned with the objectives of the Shrine's 2019–24 Strategic Plan.
Total engagement has been critically reviewed relative to performance in 2020–2021. With on-site visitation estimated to reach just 261,000 (down more than 500,000 on 2018–2019 levels) leveraging experience gained in the past year to extend digital engagement will be essential in pursuit of our annual engagement target of 750,000.
Recurring restrictions on operations are almost certain and will greatly limit our capacity to generate revenue and reduce our capacity to engage Victorians and visitors in commemoration. The benefits of the past year's experience aided through investments by the Victorian Government in streaming infrastructure and our new website will further enable these initiatives.
Major new projects enabled by funding from the Victorian Government are planned in the year including:
- restoration of the eastern and southern monument stairs
- restoration of the four heritage-listed, external light towers
- construction of an accessible ramp between the Shrine's lower and upper forecourts
- design and approvals for security infrastructure to mitigate general and Hostile Vehicle Attack risks.
Significant services will include:
- Weekly Last Post Services each Sunday
- Victory in the Pacific Day – 15 August 2021
- Vietnam Veterans' Day – 18 August 2021
- Battle for Australia Day – 1 September 2021
- Remembrance Day – 11 November 2021
- Melbourne Legacy's 91st Annual ANZAC Commemoration Ceremony for Students – April 2022
- Anzac Day – 25 April 2022
- Annual Victorian Aboriginal Remembrance Service – 31 May 2022
Organisational structure and responsibilities
A diagram of the organisational structure and associated responsibilities.
Download a copy of this structure:
The Shrine community
The Shrine of Remembrance community, guided by 10 trustees, is comprised of Life Governors, Governors, staff, volunteers and Shrine Guards.
Trustees
The Shrine community is guided by 10 trustees.
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Chris was appointed Chairperson of the Trustees in January 2012 and reappointed in 2017 for a further 4-year period. Chris’s term expired in February 2021.
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Stephen was appointed Chairperson of Trustees in February 2021 for a period of 4 years.
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John was appointed Trustee in April 2000, and reappointed in 2002, 2005, 2007, 2010, and 2012. In 2016 John was appointed Deputy Chairperson. John’s term expired in August 2020.
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Bunny was appointed Trustee in March 2020 for a period of 4 years. In May 2021, Bunny was appointed Deputy Chairperson of Trustees.
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Sally became a Trustee in September 2018, coinciding with her election as Lord Mayor of the City of Melbourne.
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Robert was appointed a Trustee in November 2017 for a period of 4 years.
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Graeme became the Legacy representative in March 2019 for a period of 4 years.
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Sue was appointed Trustee in January 2012 and reappointed in 2016. In March 2020 she was reappointed for a further 4 year period.
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Tracey was appointed Trustee in March 2016 and reappointed in 2020 for a period of 4 years.
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Roger was appointed Trustee in September 2018 for a period of 4 years.
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Nikki was appointed Trustee in April 2019 for a period of 4 years.
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Talieh was appointed Trustee in April 2021 for a period of 4 years.
Life Governors and Governors
Life Governors and Governors are appointed under Section 4 of the Shrine of Remembrance Act 1978. They assist the Trustees with the conduct of ceremonial activities at the Shrine and other duties as requested by the Trustees.
Life Governors
- Colonel George Mackenzie OBE RFD
- Lieutenant Colonel David Ford CVO AM GM
- Lieutenant Colonel Adrian Lombardo
- Mr Peter Whitelaw
Governors
- Lieutenant Colonel Don J Reid RAA (retired October 2020)
- Colonel John Coulson OAM RFD ED
- Major Maggie More OAM RFD
- Group Captain Annette Holian
- Commander Terry Makings AM RAN
- Squadron Leader Steve Campbell-Wright
- Lieutenant Commander Janette Gallagher
- Colonel Jason Cooke
Chief Executive Officer and executive team
The role of the Chief Executive Officer and executive team is to implement strategy, and direct and hold responsibility for the day-to-day activities of the Shrine.
Chief Executive Officer
Dean Lee was appointed Chief Executive Officer in July 2015. He provides policy and strategic support and advice to the Trustees and overall leadership to the executive team and staff.
Director Public Programs
Sue Burgess was appointed to the position of Director of Public Programs in October 2019 and holds responsibility for gallery development, exhibition programs, collections, and the Shrine’s education and volunteer programs.
Director Corporate Services
Greg Gilmour is the Director Corporate Services and holds responsibility for administration, finance, operations, and facilities functions. Greg was appointed to this role in September 2019.
Director Visitor Experience
Naias Mingo is the Director of Visitor Experience and holds responsibility for the Shrine’s visitor services, ceremonial functions and the Shrine’s self-funding activities. Naias was appointed in June 2019.
Volunteers
The Shrine Volunteer program operated for approximately four months of the reporting period and overall attendance was pared back to ensure the safety of our volunteers.
Volunteers engage visitors onsite, provide support to the education program delivery, the ceremonial program and they deliver talks to community groups both onsite and offsite.
During the closure period in 2020–21 volunteers have remained engaged through regular newsletters, training and weekly video conferencing. During 2020–21 volunteers provided more than 2,600 hours of service.
The Shrine Trustees acknowledge with thanks the dedication of its valued volunteers.
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- James Affleck
- Darcie Apostolou
- Betty Appleton
- Barry Aumann
- Ann Baker
- Rodney Bayley
- Fred Boland
- Daryl Bolton
- Ralph Boyne
- Paul Brennan
- Bruce Brown
- Catherine Brown
- Maureen Bugden
- John Cahir
- Barbara Carpenter
- Bill Cherry
- Caroline Clark
- Lorraine Connell
- Bill Cornford
- Eleni Courvisanos
- Cate Cox
- Ken Crook
- Pauline D'Astoli
- Jacqui Dekker
- Tyrese Dimalanta
- Anna Dockendorff
- Ian Douglas
- Noel Ellis
- Garry Fabian
- Andrew Fankhauser
- Wendy Farthing
- Mac Ford
- George Galanopoulos
- Peter Geddes
- Drew Gordon
- Angus Graham
- Allan Grant
- Rachel Grover
- Vanessa Ham
- Gerry Hare
- Levi Henderson Gillespie
- Christine Hill
- John Hills
- Robert Hoskin
- Alec Huze
- Frans Jindo
- Ian Jones
- Anne Josefsberg
- Steven Kyritsis
- Liam Lander
- Kerry Larkan
- Rayden Lee
- Fred Lehmann
- Sue Liddell
- Judy Llewellyn
- Gloria Low
- Marita Madden
- Dianne Manning
- Paul Maple
- Ros Martin
- Anne Mathers
- Mark Mayne
- Andrew Meldrum
- Graeme Miller
- Robyn Miller
- David Mitchell
- John Moxey
- Sue Mullett
- Elena Murphy
- Angus Murray
- Eleanor Naylor
- Erin Nisbet
- Jon Peart
- Victor Pilch
- Daryl Pinner
- Janelle Raines
- Anne Ramsay
- Helen Robinson
- Gary Serpell
- Ian Simpkin
- Brian Smith
- Aarushi Sodhi
- Stephen Stockdale
- Kevan Thomas
- Peter Taylor
- Kerrie Walker
- Mary Ward
- Philip Whitehouse
- Malcolm Wiltshire
- Brian Worcester
Vale
It was with much sadness that we marked the passing of volunteers Alan Stebbing and Jo Green.
The Shrine Guard
The Victoria Police Shrine Guard is provided by the Department of Justice and Regulation. They provide a 24-hour security presence at the Shrine and play an integral role in ceremonial activities.
Shrine staff
The full staff list for the Shrine of Remembrance, as of 30 June 2021.
- Carolyn Argent, Education Officer
- Margaret Brown, Tour Guide
- Sue Burgess, Director Public Programs
- Dale Capron, Ceremonial Program Manager
- Laura Carroll, Education & Volunteer Manager
- Melissah Crumpton, Business Support Officer
- Sue Curwood, Marketing Manager
- Chloe De Luca, Education Officer
- Rebecca Dixon, Duty Manager
- Monica Galbraith, Marketing Officer
- Michael Ganey, Visitor Services Officer
- Leigh Gilburt, Production Coordinator
- Greg Gilmour, Director Corporate Services
- Peter Harris, Facilities Manager
- Dominic Healy, Tour Guide
- Spencer Hurley, Visitor Services Officer
- Anthony Langley, Human Resources Adviser
- Dean Lee, Chief Executive Officer
- Soo Mei Leong, Finance Officer
- Peter Luby, Visitor Services Officer
- Voula Marinis, Executive Assistant
- Toby Miller, Collections Coordinator
- Naias Mingo, Director Visitor Services
- Katrina Nicolson, Research & Outreach Officer
- Tessa Occhino, Exhibition and Collections Research Officer
- Janelle Oudshoorn, Visitor Services Manager
- Nina Perry, Visitor Services Officer
- Glen Putland, Visitor Services Officer
- Chelsea Rowlings, Retail Officer
- Karl Sarsfield, Tour Guide
- Neil Sharkey, Curator
- Kate Spinks, Curator & Collections Manager
- Adrian Threlfall, Education & Training Officer
- Melanie Warburton, Business Support Officer
- Sue Wicks, Visitor Services Officer
- Chris Wright, Facilities Coordinator
Governance
Trustee meetings, committee structure and committees at the Shrine of Remembrance.
Trustee meetings
During 2020–21, the Shrine of Remembrance Trustees held 6 ordinary meetings.
Committee structure
Three committees support the corporate governance framework that provides informed recommendations to
the Board of Trustees.
The Committees are supported by the Chief Executive Officer and Director Corporate Services with other members of the executive team aiding as required. Committees may also co-opt external parties with relevant expertise to participate as required.
Committees
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The purpose of the Audit and Risk Management Committee (ARMC) is to assist the Board by providing assurance about the integrity of the financial processes, systems and reporting of the Shrine. It does this by considering financial and related reports from management and internal and external auditors and establishing and reviewing compliance with a risk management framework.
Standing Directions under the Financial Management Act also require the ARMC to oversee and advise the Board on matters of accountability and internal control affecting operations.
The ARMC comprises independent members who meet the criteria for independence within the Financial Management Compliance Framework guidelines.
The committee met on 7 occasions in 2020–21.
Committee members throughout the period included:
- Sue Blake (Trustee and Committee Chair)
- Robert Webster (Trustee)
- Catherine "Bunny" Carrigan (Trustee)
- Michael Lawriwsky (Independent Member)
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The purpose of the Ceremonial Committee is to make recommendations and provide advice to the Board on ceremonial matters and related policies. The committee met on 2 occasions in 2020–21.
Committee members throughout the period included:
- Graeme Plumridge (Trustee and Committee Chair)
- John Coulson (Shrine Governor)
- Maggie More (Shrine Governor)
- Terry Makings (Shrine Governor)
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The purpose of the Remuneration Committee is to determine Chief Executive Officer (CEO) remuneration and validate the individual remuneration packages set by the CEO for executives. The committee is also responsible for establishing succession and career development plans for the CEO and monitoring the succession and career development plans set by the CEO for executives. The committee met on 1 occasion during 2020–2021.
Committee members during the reporting period were:
- Chris Spence (Committee Chair) (Chairman of Trustees)
- Robert Webster (Trustee)
- Sue Blake (Trustee)
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The Shrine’s Occupational Health and Safety Committee meets 4 times each year and includes nominated and trained Health and Safety Representatives from Designated Working Groups of the staff, volunteer and Victoria Police (Shrine Guard) representatives. Issues covered include WorkSafe matters, OHS incidents and matters of general workplace health and safety.
During the 2020–21 reporting period, the Shrine’s OHS Committee met 4 times. Additional to its standing responsibilities, in 2020–21 the committee also considered and made recommendations related to the development and implementation of the Shrine’s COVID Safe Plan(s).
Pleasingly, no lost time injuries occurred in 2021–21.
Financial Report 2020-21
Audited general-purpose financial statements for the financial year that ended 30 June 2021.
Financial Management Attestation
Shrine of Remembrance Trustees Financial Report 2020–21
Disclosure index
This index has been prepared to facilitate the identification of the Shrine's compliance with statutory disclosure requirements.
The Annual Report of the Shrine of Remembrance is prepared in accordance with all relevant Victorian legislation and pronouncements as far as practicable. This index has been prepared to facilitate the identification of the Shrine's compliance with statutory disclosure requirements.
Appendix
Appendix to the Shrine of Remembrance Annual Report 2020-21.
Disclosure of major contracts
The Shrine of Remembrance Trustees have no contracts at or above the prescribed level of $10 million within the 2020–21 reporting period.
Employment and conduct principles
The Shrine of Remembrance is committed to applying merit and equity principles when appointing staff. The selection processes ensure that applicants are assessed and evaluated fairly and equitably on the basis of the key selection criteria and other accountabilities without discrimination. Employees have been correctly classified in workforce data collections.
Freedom of Information
The Shrine of Remembrance is subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 1982. The Freedom of Information Act 1982 allows the public a right to seek access to documents held by the Shrine of Remembrance. Requests should be forwarded to Shrine of Remembrance Trustees, GPO Box 1603, Melbourne, Victoria 3001.
Shrine Trustees received no Freedom of Information requests within the 2020–21 reporting period.
Compliance with Building Act 1993
During the reporting period the Trustees have complied with the Building Act 1993 as appropriate.
Compliance with neutrality policy
Shrine Trustees adhere to the principles of the National Competition Policy and Competitive Neutrality Policy (Vic) to ensure where services compete, or potentially compete with the private sector, any advantage arising solely from their government ownership be removed if not in the public interest.
Compliance with the Public Interest Disclosures Act 2012
The Public Interest Disclosures Act 2012 encourages and assists people in making disclosures of improper conduct by public officers and public bodies. The Act provides protection to people who make disclosures in accordance with the Act. and establishes a system for the matters disclosed to be investigated and rectifying action to be taken.
The Shrine of Remembrance does not tolerate improper conduct by personnel, nor the taking of reprisals against those who come forward to disclose such conduct. It is committed to ensuring transparency and accountability in its administrative and management practices and supports the making of disclosures that reveal corrupt conduct, conduct involving a substantial mismanagement of public resources, or conduct involving a substantial risk to public health and safety or the environment.
The Shrine will take all reasonable steps to protect people who make such disclosures from any detrimental action in reprisal for making the disclosure. It will also afford natural justice to the person who is the subject of the disclosure to the extent it is legally possible.
Disclosures of improper conduct or detrimental action by the Shrine or any of its employees may be made to the Chairman of Trustees or the Chief Executive Officer. Alternatively, disclosures may also be made directly to the Independent Broad-based Anti-Corruption Commission:
- Level 1, North Tower
459 Collins Street
MELBOURNE VIC 3000 - Phone: 1300 735 135
- Website:
The number of disclosures made by an individual to the Shrine of Remembrance and notified to the Independent Broadbased Anti-corruption Commission was zero during the years 2018–19, 2019–20 and 2020–21.
Compliance with the Carers Recognition Act 2012
The Shrine of Remembrance has taken all practical measures to comply with its obligations under the Carers Recognition Act 2012. These include considering the care relationship principles set out in the Act when setting policies and providing services, e.g. reviewing our employment policies such as flexible working arrangements and leave provisions to ensure that these comply with the statement of principles in the Act.
Consultancies
In 2020–21 there were 2 consultancies where the total fees payable to the consultants were $10,000 or more. The total expenditure incurred during 2020–21 in relation to these consultancies was $27,995 (excl. GST).
Consultant | Details | Start date | End date | Total approved fee (excl. GST) | Expenditure 2019–20 (excl. GST) | Future expenditure (excl. GST) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sandwalk Partners Pty Ltd | Shrine Trustees Strategic Planning Review | 25/02/2021 | 25/07/2021 | $12,875 | $12,875 | - |
Experiential Environments Melbourne Pty Ltd | Visitor Centre concept design | 30/09/2020 | 30/06/2021 | $15,120 | $15,120 | - |
In 2020–21 there were 3 consultancies where the total fees payable to the consultants were less than $10,000. The total amount spent on consultancies less than $10,000 was $15,266 (excl GST).
Compliance with the Disability Act 2006
The Disability Act 2006 reaffirms and strengthens the rights of people with a disability and recognises that this requires support across the government sector and within the community.
The Shrine of Remembrance Trustees adhere to the requirements of the Act and continue to develop and update their Disability Action Plan as and when required.
Disclosure of Government Advertising Expenditure
In 2020-21, the Trustees did not undertake any government advertising campaigns with total media spend of $100,000 or greater (excl. GST).
Disclosure of ICT expenditure
ICT expenditure refers to the Shrine’s costs in providing business enabling ICT services within the current reporting period. It comprises Business As Usual (BAU) ICT expenditure and Non-Business As Usual (Non-BAU) ICT expenditure. Non-BAU ICT expenditure relates to extending or enhancing our current ICT capabilities. BAU ICT expenditure is all remaining ICT expenditure which primarily relates to ongoing activities to operate and maintain the current ICT capability.
During the reporting period, the Shrine of Remembrance had a total BAU ICT expenditure of $62,520 and no Non-BAU expenditure.
Statement of Availability of other Information
In compliance with the requirements of the Standing Directions of the Minister for Finance, details in respect of the items listed have been retained by the Shrine of Remembrance and are available on request, subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 1982. During 2020–21:
- Declarations of pecuniary interests were duly completed by all relevant officers.
- No shares were held by a senior officer as nominee or held beneficially in a statutory authority or subsidiary.
Reporting of office-based environmental impacts
The Shrine of Remembrance maintains and regularly reviews an environmental practices policy and is committed to minimising the environmental impacts associated with its activities.
As part of a Social Procurement Framework aimed at supporting local and sustainable suppliers, the Shrine, now uses all biodegradable materials in its wreaths, made from Australian grown flowers and foliage.
The Shrine maintains a 960,000 litre underground water storage tank which is used to store building and hard stand run-off. This water supports irrigation across the site and reduces consumption of potable water. Irrigation is scheduled to occur at night to minimise evaporative loss and drip irrigators are used in densely planted areas to further conserve water.
Within the Shrine monument a building management system allows for efficient control of climate and lighting systems to meet the needs and expectations of visitors in an energy efficient manner. All public bathrooms utilise auto-operated hand dryers. Newer rooms/areas are also fitted with motion detectors to turn lights on and off in response to use as a means of reducing electrical consumption. All new and replacement lighting products have been high efficiency LED products.
Throughout each of Victoria’s Covid-19 lockdown closures, lighting, HVAC and standby utilities were powered down and/or minimised to reduce energy consumption and avoid light exposure to collections items. This, along with BMS efficiencies and LED changeovers, assisted in the overall reduction of energy consumption by 21 per cent (131,542 kWh) this financial year.
The Shrine utilises Microsoft SharePoint electronic document storage and retrieval system to protect document integrity and minimise the use of paper; this is a cloud based computing solution reducing the requirement for on-site computing hardware thus minimising electrical costs and waste disposal of aged computer and server hardware. Redundant ICT equipment was e-recycled throughout the year.
All internal communications, including committee and board meeting agenda and minutes, are distributed electronically to minimise the environmental footprint by reducing printer power, paper and ink consumption, and carbon emissions in transportation. Recycling bins are located in all office areas to collect paper for re-use. Latex and Nitrile gloves are now being collected and where possible recycled. The Papercut software solution was implemented to assist our policy of minimising hard copy printing. Since last report, printing across the organisation has been reduced by 42 per cent, due mostly to office closures.
Pest control within the Shrine is of critical importance in both protecting the collection and ensuring visitors enjoy a positive experience. The Shrine has chosen to use manual control mechanisms, such as traps, in preference to toxic chemical controls wherever practicable.
Local Jobs First
The Shrine of Remembrance adheres to the Local Jobs Act 2003 introduced in August 2018 which brings together the Victorian Industry Participation Policy (VIPP) and Major Project Skills Guarantee (MPSG) policy which were previously administered separately.
Social procurement
The Shrine undertook social procurement activities during the year with an aggregated spend of $4,570 with two social enterprises, ADEs or Aboriginal businesses engaged.
Workforce data
The Shrine of Remembrance Trustees directly employs a Chief Executive Officer, operational staff, casual and contract employees.
Staff numbers | 2019–20 | 2020–21 |
---|---|---|
Chief Executive Officer | 1 | 1 |
Shrine Employees (total) | 38 | 36 |
Effective full-time equivalent | 29.75 | 30.47 |
The salary of one executive employee is reported within note 8.3 of the financial accounts.
The Shrine is also supported by 90 volunteers.
Model Financial Report
This Annual Report is modelled on the Model Financial Report as far as possible for this entity.
Design & Print Annual Report
The Shrine of Remembrance has taken all practical measures to comply with its obligations under the requirements of FRD 30D.
Copyright
© State of Victoria, Shrine of Remembrance 2021. This publication is copyright. No part may be reproduced by any process except in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968.
Download a copy of the appendix
Key supporters
The Shrine of Remembrance's key supporters for 2020-21, including media partnerships, benefactors and donors.
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Our media partnerships continued to foster public interest in the Shrine. ABC (TV, News and Online) provided comprehensive and coordinated support for our major ceremonial services as well as editorial coverage of
exhibitions. -
- Government of Victoria
- Anzac Centenary Public Fund
- Portland House Foundation
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- Wertheimer Family
- Geoff & Helen Handbury Foundation
- Gandel Philanthropy
- Colonial Foundation
- Helen Macpherson Smith Trust
- Returned & Services League of Australia (Victorian Branch)
- City of Melbourne
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- Margaret Ross AM and Dr Ian C Ross
- Holcim Australia Pty Ltd
- Vera Moore Foundation
- Calvert-Jones Foundation
- St Kilda Memorial Hall Trustees
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- Lark Force Association
- Freemason’s Public Charitable Foundation
- Betty Amsden AO
- Kenneth J Roche AO
- Republic of Turkey
- Geoffrey Gardiner Dairy Foundation
- Douglas Meagher QC
- National Servicemen’s Association of Australia (Victoria) South Gippsland Sub-Branch
- Melbourne Football Club
- Richmond Football Club
- Krystyna Campbell-Pretty
- Anzac Naval Commemorative Ball Committee
- Hornagold-Tomholt Bequest
- Simonovic Bequest
- Wesley College
- Qantas
- The Copland Foundation
- Lindsay Fox AC
- Frederick Ian McLeod-Dryden
- Noel Ellis
- Loyal Orange Institution of Victoria
- The Chauvel Family
- BGS Educational Services Ltd
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- Government of Victoria
- Victoria Police
- City of Melbourne
- Australian War Memorial
- Macutex
- RACV
- Krystyna Campbell-Pretty
- Loyal Orange Institution of Victoria
- Estate of the Late Allan George Lorraine OAM
- Mrs Margaret Ross AM
- Mr Noel Ellis
The City of Melbourne provides grounds maintenance services and grant assistance towards limited administrative and secretarial support including payroll and accounting services via a Service Level Agreement.
Victoria Police provides the Shrine Guards.
Multinet Gas Networks and Origin Energy provide gas to the Eternal Flame via a Memorandum of Understanding and the Shrine of Remembrance Act 1978.
Reviewed 28 August 2023