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Reserve Bank of Australia
Museum

The Museum is temporarily closed due to refurbishment of the Reserve Bank building. The refurbishment will conserve the heritage of this important modernist building and make it more sustainable. See Unreservedly Modern for a history of its design.

The Museum has a selection of resources and digital activities.

Explore our online exhibitions and resources
     

From Bank to Battlefield

Australia's Central Bank and the First World War

The First World War saw the emergence of central banking in Australia. These functions were originally performed by a part of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia. In 1960 that part became the Reserve Bank. In the centenary years of the First World War, the Reserve Bank honours those Bank staff who enlisted in the ‘war to end all wars’ and those who helped found a national institution.

Featured Content

Centenary of Armistice

11 November 2018 marks the centenary of the signing of the Armistice that brought the First World War to an end. Members of the public are invited to a free tour of the Museum's exhibition, ‘Before Sunset’, on Monday, 12 November at 2.00 pm. Read details »

Centenary of Armistice

The female staff of the Commonwealth Bank forms a ‘Strong Post’ as they gather outside the Bank’s head office in Martin Place, Sydney, to cheer the returning troops and distribute cigarettes, flowers, cards and confectionary, 16 January 1919. PN-001385

Challenges of War

Challenges of War

Honor Roll

Honour Roll

The Commonwealth Bank of Australia's Honor Roll was officially unveiled. The Honor Roll… contains the names of those 206…staff who enlisted

Letters from the Front

Letters from the Front

Even from the battlefields, staff were keen to hear of the progress of the Bank. And they shared significant experiences with the Governor.

Profiles of Bank Staff who went to war

Profiles

By the end of the war, a total of 206 Commonwealth Bank officers had made the same decision to serve. Learn more about their personal stories.

The Year of Anzac

The Year of Anzac

The Gallipoli campaign lasted eight months and although it failed in its military objectives, it created a legacy which helped to shape the identity of the nation.

Timeline

Managing the Bank in Times of War

Sir Denison Samuel King Miller was the first Governor of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia and played a significant role in the establishment of central banking in this country.

Timeline

Visit of the Prince of Wales in 1920

At the Imperial War Conference in 1917, and again at the conference of overseas Prime Ministers in 1918, King George V had foreshadowed a visit to the Dominions by his eldest son, ‘when peace comes’.

Gallery

Gallery

This selection of photographs from the Reserve Bank of Australia's archives documents aspects of the building of the Bank's head office, and the Bank's involvement in raising funds through the sale of War Loan Bonds, and then Peace Loan Bonds after the war's conclusion.

Interactive Timeline

Timeline

Interactive timeline highlighting key dates about the Bank and the war.

ANZAC Centenary

Audio: Listen to the Last Post

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The Reserve Bank of Australia Museum acknowledges the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples of Australia as the Traditional Custodians of this land, and recognises their continuing connection to Country. We pay our respects to their Elders, past, present and emerging.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander visitors should be aware that this Museum website may contain images or names of people who are now deceased. While we make every reasonable effort to ensure the accuracy of information, some of the content on this site may contain inconsistencies or errors regarding dates, as recorded by different agencies or individuals.

The materials on this webpage are subject to copyright and their use is subject to the terms and conditions set out in the Copyright and Disclaimer Notice.
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