National Anzac Centre ‘rebounds strongly’ after slow start to 2023-24, plans for 10-year anniversary under way

Nearly a decade on from opening the National Anzac Centre, the City of Albany is drawing up plans to revitalise the centre so it remains a vital regional drawcard. November will mark 10 years since the NAC was officially opened by dignitaries as a part of the Anzac Centenary and more than 550,000 visits have been made to the centre since. City of Albany executive director of community services Nathan Watson said the anniversary would be an incredible achievement and plans were under way to mark the milestone. He said awareness of Albany’s part in the Anzac story had grown “significantly” since the Anzac Centenary and was something the city continually strived to promote. “Since opening in 2014 the National Anzac Centre has remained a must-visit experience in Albany and the region, but it’s more than just a tourist attraction,” he said. “Telling the experience of war through the personal stories of Australian soldiers, nurses, allies and foes, it plays an essential role in the preservation and education of one of Australia’s greatest stories. “We are very proud to have a museum of national cultural significance in Albany and it is unique among Australia’s flagship museums, not just in the experience it offers but because it is run by a local government, and we remain committed to that.” More than 10,000 people poured through the centre in its first month and more than 11,000 visited during April the following year, corresponding with high visitation around Anzac Day 2015. The only other month the NAC had more than 10,000 recorded visitors was April 2019, coinciding with the end of the highly successful field of lights installation. Slowing visitation to the centre was a topic of discussion among councillors and city staff at the February Community and Corporate Services Committee meeting when the NAC advisory committee’s quarterly report was presented. It showed that monthly visitation to the centre had been lower than the year prior for seven straight months. Mr Watson said visitation had become “more inconsistent and unpredictable since COVID” but trends were starting to stabilise. He said “slower” visitation during the first half of the financial year was likely due to cost-of-living challenges and the cancellation of several large cruise ships. “Visitation numbers to the National Anzac Centre rebounded strongly in February and March this year,” he said. “We will continue to monitor these trends and work with council and the National Anzac Centre Advisory Group to develop strategies that aim to maintain and grow visitation.” He said the city was continually looking at how to “maintain the museum’s relevance and importance into the future”. “And ensure it continues to be a place where generations of visitors can come to learn, reflect and commemorate,” he said. The next NAC quarterly report detailing numbers for the first three months of 2024 is due to be presented to the council next month.