Daniel Boyd receives commission for Australian War Memorial pavilion

Daniel Boyd has received a commission to design a new pavilion in collaboration with Edition Office at the Australian War Memorial.

The work, 'For Our Country’, will recognise and commemorate the military service and experience of Aboriginal and Torres Strait islanders.


'For Our Country' is set behind a ceremonial fire pit within a circular stonefield, incorporating a mirrored glass façade covered in thousands of mirrored circular lenses that reflect the viewer and the Memorial across its surface. Behind the glass veil is an intimate, contemplative space with a curved back wall and seating constructed of black pigmented rammed earth from which to see back through the thousands of transparent lenses to the fire and memorial grounds beyond.


With permission from the Ngunnawal Elders, an open invitation will go out to every Aboriginal and Torres Strait Nation for soil from their lands to be offered into the ceremonial cham­ber at the centre of the pavilion which penetrates deep onto the ground below the work. In this way each Nation is unified together in this place, where a piece of real country can act as sym­bolic remains of the fallen who have died in the protection of their country.


'For Our Country' will occupy a prominent position in the Memorial Sculpture Garden and is planned to be constructed in November/December 2018.