Shock and Awful

It appears that along with booing at funerals, criticising the recently deceased and threatening to shirtfront foreign leaders, it’s now acceptable to use sites of national significance for corporate functions. 

The Official Launch of Northrop Grumman Australia will be held at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra on next month. Northrop Grumman, an American company founded in 1939, has been a supplier of military hardware to the Australian Defence Forces, and others around the world for years, and employs over 400 people in Australia. 

Their close affiliation with Australia’s defence industry might seem like a natural fit with a war memorial, making it an obvious venue for a defence-related knees-up. But the Australian War Memorial is not just any old museum. 

According to the official website, 

The Australian War Memorial combines a shrine, a world-class museum, and an extensive archive. The Memorial's purpose is to commemorate the sacrifice of those Australians who have died in war. Its mission is to assist Australians to remember, interpret and understand the Australian experience of war and its enduring impact on Australian society. 

I’d think that’s how most Aussies see it, and want it to remain that way. 

The Northrop Grumman function has caught the attention of social media users after Crikey published a teaser on Tuesday. The Twitterati are aghast at the thought of using our war memorial to hold a function which could just as easily be held in the ballroom of the Holiday Inn. That the War Memorial even has a function space for hire comes as a surprise to many, including some Canberra residents. 

The function venue is Anzac Hall, a large military-themed function room located within the memorial grounds, and it seems to be marketed to corporations for events like this launch. They even provide the option of guided tours and mementos as part of your special occasion. 

So is this just another example of righteous indignation from the reactionaries on social media? I asked my partner Rob, a career Army Officer with over twenty years’ experience in the ADF, for his thoughts. He was surprised, and appalled. For Rob, the War Memorial is sacred ground, a place to remember and honour those who came before him, and those yet to follow. It shouldn’t be a quirky option for trendy wedding receptions, or a commercial venue for multinational defence suppliers to celebrate their profit margins. 

And yet it is, complete with the blessing of the Australian War Memorial Council, which includes several decorated military veterans and public figures. 

So let’s put it down to shock value. We were surprised. We didn’t know. I won’t be rushing to hold my next big event in the Anzac Room, but as long as it’s okay with the majority of veterans and the families of those we lost, I’ll climb down off my high horse and continue to see the Australian War Memorial as the very special place it is.