The University of Sydney’s War Memorial Committee was established after the end of World War I to decide how members of the University community who served should be commemorated. The records of the Memorial Committee span from 1918 to 1939, and detail discussions regarding differing memorialisation options. The War Memorial Committee Records hold the biographical files, personal artefacts, letters, photographs, and other materials solicited and donated to commemorate the service and sacrifices of 1891 individuals affiliated with the University. This initiative resulted in the “Book of Remembrance,” a comprehensive biographical record. The collection also includes records concerning the construction and dedication of the University’s War Memorial Carillon, a bell tower funded by community donations and located in the Main Quadrangle.

The War Memorial Committee Records are of national significance as a contemporaneous, comprehensive, and community-focused record of Australia’s World War I experience and post-war efforts at memorialisation. The records offer unique insights into the emerging ideas of remembering and commemorating wartime service after the devastating national losses in World War I, and highlight the varied ways that remembrance was being discussed and thought of at the time.

Specifically, the War Memorial Committee Records demonstrate the importance of place in memory, with the campaign to fund and erect the Carillon revealing the emotive and evocative ways in which spaces can be built and rebuilt with community engagement. In addition, the records are a rich and detailed account of war and post-war experiences of a large group of Australians, unique for their emphasis on post-war integration and the community impact of their service.