The Australian War Memorial is widely cited as the most powerful institution of its kind in the world — not the largest, not the most expensively designed, but the one with the most coherent purpose. Built in 1941 in a heroic art deco style at the foot of Mount Ainslie, it functions simultaneously as a war museum, a tomb of the unknown soldier, a research archive and a national place of mourning. The axial sight-line from the Memorial straight through Anzac Parade, across Lake Burley Griffin and up to Parliament House is the defining urban-design gesture of Canberra.
The galleries cover Australian involvement in conflicts from the Sudan campaign through to Afghanistan, with extraordinary collections of aircraft, vehicles, paintings and personal artefacts. Don't miss the Hall of Memory mosaic, the Anzac Day commemorative panels, and the Last Post ceremony held every afternoon. Admission is free; allow most of a day.