Albany’s National Anzac Centre upgrades to keep stories alive

A theatrette and multimedia touch table are among new additions to Albany’s National Anzac Centre designed to keep the Anzac stories alive for new and returning visitors.

With more than 400,000 visitors passing through the attraction’s doors since 2014, the refresh will offer new ways for visitors to explore the story of the Anzacs.

Among painting retouches and upgrades to amenities, the convoy room has been transformed into a new theatre, which this month will screen Bayonets and Butterflies by WA filmmaker Sam Hobbs.

The film tells the story of the filmmaker’s great-grandfather Lieutenant General Sir Joseph Talbot Hobbs, whose troops rescued French lepidopterist Eugene Boullet’s priceless collection of butterflies during the war.

City of Albany Mayor Dennis Wellington said the NAC’s technology and content updates would ensure it continued to play an important role in preserving Anzac history.

“Through the essential refresh of this facility, the centre will continue to provide an attractive and inclusive experience for all visitors who want to connect with the Anzac story,” he said.

“We are honoured to be able to screen this film which shows a different side of our shared history in the updated National Anzac Centre space.”