Wednesday 10 August 2016
Senior Historian at the Australian War Memorial, Peter Burness, discusses his new research on Charles Bean’s Western Front diaries. Peter talks about these remarkably candid diaries and what they reveal about Bean, who was Australia’s official war correspondent throughout the First World War. Bean’s position took him to London, the Salisbury Plains and every important Australian battlefield in France and Belgium. Mixing with all ranks, Bean sheltered in the trenches under enemy shell-fire or took up vantage points from which to gain unique perspectives on the enormity of the actions. Most importantly, he always kept a focus on the ordinary soldier.
This talk was recorded at the Gold Museum in Ballarat as part of the Shrine's regional lecture series.
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