Of Love And War Exhibition
Love touches us all. During times of conflict it has played, and continues to play, an important role in the lives of our servicemen and women, the sweethearts and lovers they left behind or those they met while serving.

The Memorial’s exhibition Of love and war, looks at the impact of war on these relationships and the ways in which Australians incorporated affairs of the heart into their wartime lives.

There are five themes to the exhibition which can be explored.

'First Glance' 'Romance and recruitment' and 'Meetings and marriages'
These themes explores the romantic allure of the main in uniform as well as the social changes that occurred during wartime. Opportunities to travel and to meet potential partners from different countries or social situations abounded. War heightens feelings between lovers and creates a sense of urgency. These sections also explore how war has affected courtships and weddings.

'Seperation' and 'Letters and longing'
For Australians war has meant years of separation, often across vast distances. These sections of the exhibition consider the pressures that couples were placed under due to distance and the tensions associated with war. It looks at methods of communication from the exchange of gifts, to letters and telegrams, to recorded messages and e-mail. These sections also consider how those serving and those who remained behind coped with loneliness and loss.

'The future' and 'Beyond the battlefield'
Do things return to normal between couples when the war is over? What about couples whose relationship was founded on war time experiences? This section considers the impact of war on peacetime lives. It looks at war brides, as well as the impact of conflict on other relationships.

Of Love And War
Venue: The Australian War Memorial, Canberra
Dates:  13/02/10 – 05/05/10
Official Site: www.awm.gov.au