Education Experience
The Sir John Monash Centre tells the story of Australians on the Western Front during the First World War. Using state-of-the-art technology and multimedia content complemented by objects of significance to Australians, it is designed to engage and inform new generations about Australia’s role on the Western Front.
More than 295,000 Australians served on the Western Front between 1916 and 1918. Of these, 132,000 were wounded and 46,000 lost their lives. The Sir John Monash Centre ensures the words, the experiences and the stories of sacrifice of those men and women are preserved for generations to come.
A visit to the Sir John Monash Centre is both an emotional and educational experience, and is offered in three languages: English, French or German, thanks to a dedicated app. The Centre uses the latest technology, multimedia tools and artefacts from the First World War to immerse students in this period of history.
Students will leave the Sir John Monash Centre with an enhanced understanding of the Australian experience on the Western Front and the impact and loss suffered by a young nation.
To prepare for your visit, download the teacher’s information pack by clicking here.
Under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 section, you can also find information about health and safety information for schools by clicking here.
To access content, we recommend that students and teachers install the SJMC app (available on Play store and App Store) and bring their earphones. If required, headphones can be purchased from the Centre’s shop for 3 euros.
On-site catering options are also available by prior arrangement. More information here.
Before the visit, teachers can prepare their students with the online resources developed by the Australian Department of Veterans’ Affairs.
Classic tour with the SJMC app (from age 12)
The SJMC app becomes a personal tour guide for the Sir John Monash Centre. It works like an audio guide during the visit and can be used within the Cemetery and Memorial grounds as students make their way to the Sir John Monash Centre.
It provides information about the site and allows visitors to hear the stories of some of the soldiers buried and commemorated there. Inside the Sir John Monash Centre, the app streams audio content directly to your device and connects to the screens in the Interpretive Gallery, immersing visitors in the story of Australians who served on the Western Front.
Digger Quest (Primary aged 6 to 12)
The Digger Quest application guides young visitors through the Centre’s galleries in search of various Australian animals and totems, allowing them to complete their quests at their own pace.
Each of the eight missions is based on a key element of Australia’s history during the Great War as told at the Sir John Monash Centre.
Equipped with a tablet (loaned out for free), students learn about Australia before discovering why this young nation fought alongside the Allies in the First World War.
Educational workshops (collective offers)
To complete the visit of the Sir John Monash Centre, we encourage teachers to book an educational workshop and a guided tour of the Villers-Bretonneux Military Cemetery and the Australian National Memorial (subject to the availability of the Centre’s teams).
All activities are free of charge and led by the Sir John Monash Centre team, in French and/or English.
PRIMARY SCHOOLS: Discover the story of Private Valentine Rochfort.
A member of the Sir John Monash Centre team invites pupils to learn about Private Valentine Rochfort’s experiences on the Western Front by examining, handling and carrying some of the objects in his personal travel case. This workshop allows children to gain a better understanding of Valentine’s life on the Western Front and the living conditions of soldiers in the trenches so far from Australia.
MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL: Discover the work of a young historian! Analyse objects and archive documents to identify a soldier.
A member of the Sir John Monash Centre team accompanies secondary school students as they analyse objects and archives to find the clues they need to identify a soldier.
Guided tour of the Villers-Bretonneux Military Cemetery and the Australian National Memorial.
A guided tour of the Villers-Bretonneux Military Cemetery and the Australian National Memorial allows students to learn more about the site and the work carried out by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) which maintains it. For secondary school students, it is possible to conclude the visit with a short wreath-laying ceremony (provided by the Centre) and a reading by the students (read from our application).
Multidisciplinary activity led by the Sir John Monash Centre team.
Bilingual activities combine history and English through a brief introduction, or a full immersion activity organised by the team based on the level of the class and its programme.
Multi-disciplinary activities aim to enrich the students’ experience to enable them to discover various aspects of modern Australia or other subjects such as geography, art or science.
For more information, please contact us at [email protected] or 03 60 62 01 40.