Battle of Menin Road. Wounded Australian soldiers lay in the mud on Menin road, near Birr Cross Road on September 20th, 1917 after the third attack of The Battle of Passchendaele. The image was taken by Frank Hurley, who’s most famous images of the war were taken during the Passchendaele campaign in the second half of 1917. He ran considerable risks to get his shots, earning the name ‘the mad photographer’ from the troops.

The 100-year-old ‘selfie’. This self portrait of Lieutenant Robert Boese of the 2nd Battalion AIF, was taken when he used a stick to release the shutter button on his camera. A keen photographer, he comprehensively recorded and documented (often humorously) his experience in both world wars in an album containing 1800 images, providing a wonderful record of activities, personalities and locations.

Return to sender. An envelope addressed to 2931 Private Ben Robinson, 47 Battalion from Edie Robinson, possibly his sister. It was sent from Mullaley, New South Wales on 13 August 1917, but before it could reach him Private Ben Robinson was killed in action. The letter became one of many stranded in the dead letter office of Australia Post.

Postcard from the front. One of a series of postcards relating to the First World War service of Lieutenant Stephen Philip Boulton, 2nd Field Artillery Brigade. The postcards were sent by Stephen to his family between 21 February 1915 to 18 April 1918, and  describe many of the places he travelled through during the war.

Photograph of 8 inch shells being brought up by light rail to the howitzers of Australian 54th Siege Artillery Battery, Western Front, 1917.

top of the pyramid. Australia’s official WW1 correspondent and historian Charles Edwin Woodrow Bean stands atop the Great Pyramid of Cheops, Egypt, on New Year’s Day, 1915. Bean was the driving force behind the establishment of The Australian War Memorial.

A pocket of memories. The invention of the Kodak Vest pocket camera made memories more tangible for both the absent soldier and his family back home. This one belonged to Sergeant Percy Virgoe of the 4th Light Horse Regiment, and is inscribed with the dates and places of one man’s war.

A collection of memories. Soldiers catalogued, collected and sent home many pieces of their lives on the front. Seen in this image are candid snapshots from Egypt, captioned and presented in a photo album. A diary with meticulous entries detailing the daily life of a soldier – right down to the mundane entries of food and weather. Autograph books were another popular item in kitbags. Comrades would sign their names and leave witty comments, quotations from poetry or amusing sketches. Postcards depicting a different time, sent home to love ones.

Honourable miniatures. These miniature replicas, also known as Dress Medals, of the British War medal (left) and Victory Medal (right) are one half the size of an original. They were worn on occasions when evening dress or a dinner jacket is worn at a dinner or evening function.  

Downtime. Soldier photographers also captured the candid moments where, for the briefest of moments, mortal danger was forgotten. This image has captured a group of soldiers relaxing after a swim in Anzac Cove.

Destroyed. Soldiers not only took images of their surroundings and each other – but also of conquests and victories.

Merry Christmas. Conflict and hatred pauses for the delivery of Christmas parcels from home.

Lands unknown. Soldiers often photographed themselves and fellow soldiers in front of landmarks, such as the pyramids and sphinx

Wash day. Even Sergeants wash their socks.

Ration delivery. Rations arrived via camel in some places during the war.