A new exhibition opens at the Anzac Memorial in Hyde Park Sydney today – Lustre – a powerful collection of art works and short films exploring the Allied campaigns in Greece and Crete during the Second World War.
The exhibition showcases the works of contemporary artists inspired by the history of Lustre Force, the combined Australian, New Zealand and British army units deployed to protect Greece from Nazi attack in 1941.
The Greece and Crete campaigns came at a heavy cost to the Australian Imperial Force, with a third of the 17,125 Australian soldiers and nurses in Lustre Force killed, wounded or captured.
To mark the 85th anniversary of these campaigns, a group of Australian and New Zealand artists, led by military historian Brad Manera, retraced their footsteps, walking the battlefields and visiting cemeteries where the men and women of Lustre Force and their German foe lie.
The resulting works reflect on the impact of this journey, with some pieces showing how the land and its people have recovered over time while others reveal the scars that still endure.
Minister for Veterans David Harris said, “These extraordinary artworks offer a contemporary perspective on an often-overlooked chapter of Australia’s wartime history.”
“The men and women of Lustre Force displayed remarkable courage and sacrifice in the face of overwhelming odds. The exhibition ensures their service and sacrifice are better understood and never forgotten,” Minister Harris added.
“Lustre is a moving reminder that the impact of war extends beyond the battlefield and continues across generations.”
Anzac Memorial’s Senior Historian & Curator Brad Manera said, “Lustre Force was a bold but ultimately doomed Allied attempt to halt Nazi expansion in the Balkans, fought under intense pressure against the best the Nazi war machine had in Greece and Crete in 1941.”
“Last year it was my privilege to lead the expedition and to walk the artists through the ground that had known so much courage and suffering,” Manera added.
“The works the artists have created commemorate these little-known campaigns 85 years on, making an exhibition that will keep a promise we made to the veterans, their widows and bereaved families – that, in the words of the Ode, ‘we will remember them’.”
Lustre is on display at the Anzac Memorial and open daily from 9am to 5pm – entry is free. More information is available here: https://www.anzacmemorial.nsw.gov.au/event/lustre
