Donate your family keepsakes or mementos of service to the Shrine collection.
The Shrine collection is at the heart of the stories we tell. Your generous donations contribute to the rich and varied ways we tell those stories.
The collection spans works of art, service equipment, souvenirs, maps, uniforms, medals, letters, diaries and photographs. It reflects the diversity of the Australian and Victorian experience both at war and home.
Donate your family or personal items and become part of the story of service and sacrifice.
Before submitting your offer
Before you proceed with an offer of a donation we suggest you talk to your family. There may be a family historian who would be interested in keeping the items within the family. You may like to read our donation information sheet
Current collection priorities
The Shrine is looking to expand its collection and has strong interests in all items that have stories associated with them or are closely linked to people or events, including equipment, objects, works of art, photographs, letters, diaries, and souvenirs. Currently, the collection areas we want to develop are:
- representations of women who have served in conflicts, including peacekeeping exercises from Vietnam to the present day
- australian involvement in and experiences of the Korean War and Gulf Wars
- personal letters, diaries, audiovisual records, and mementoes relating to recent conflicts
- material relating to Indigenous military service and experiences of conflict
- material relating to Australian involvement in peacekeeping and humanitarian missions.
Submitting your offer
To assist us in assessing your offer of donation please provide as much information as possible in the form below to help us understand your items.
We ask that you do not bring items to the Shrine until you have a confirmed appointment. Staff are not always available and some items offered for donation may have safety considerations that need to be addressed prior.
If you have any questions about the form, email donationenquiries@shrine.org.au.
Assessment of your offer
You may be contacted for further information or to arrange an inspection of the items.
In assessing an offer of donation, we consider
- existing collection holdings
- storage requirements
- staff resourcing
- the Shrine's collection development strategy.
Sometimes we have to decline offers of donation. While there are many items we can't accept permanently for the collection, we may consider these items for inclusion in an exhibition.
There are many treasures hidden in private family collections and we value the generosity of lenders for our exhibitions.
The assessment process can be lengthy so we suggest you contact the Shrine for an updated status of your offer by emailing donationenquiries@shrine.org.au.
Cultural Gifts
If you wish to donate valuable items you may be eligible to receive a tax deduction under the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program.
You can find more information on the Cultural Gifts Program website.
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