Virtual War Memorial
Peter Williams

The Virtual War Memorial Australia is Australia’s largest online memorial, with more than 1.5 million records honouring those who served the nation in war, armed conflict and peacekeeping missions, from the Boer War to the present. Chairman Peter Williams gave a very interesting account of how the memorial was set up and how it can be used.

The Memorial is operated mostly by volunteers, and is headquartered in South Australia, with an office at the Torrens Training Depot on Victoria Drive, Adelaide. The project was initiated by the SA Branch of the RSL using funding from the Centenary of Anzacs project in 2013. The Memorial was launched in 2014, and has received no government funding since, being totally self-funded.

Peter showed examples of servicemen and women from the Yankalilla and Districts region as listed on the Yankalilla and Inman Valley Rolls of Honour. He explained that basic information for each person is extracted from the existing Service Records. Anyone can register to update information these records on the site. Addition of original documents and photos are particularly encouraged, adding depth and colour to further honour those who have served.