By
CPL Cameron Jamieson
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David
Dare Parker’s photograph of No. 75 Squadron pilots before
their last offensive air operation in Iraq.
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A
NEW exhibition at the Australian War Memorial, called Australians
in Iraq 2003, provides an insight into the operations
and experiences of Australians serving in the Middle East Area
of Operations.
Nola Anderson, an Assistant Director for the Memorial, said the
Iraq collection looked at “who went and what was it like, so as
to give our visitors the experience of what Australians did in
the field”.
On display are works by official war artist Lewis Miller and official
war photographer David Dare Parker.
Both men spent several weeks in Kuwait, Qatar and Iraq, capturing
the activity on board ships, at air force bases and on operations
inside Iraq.
Mr Miller, the 1998 Archibald Prize winner, said while he was
prepared for the heat of the Middle East, at times the environment
played havoc with his materials.
Once, while painting on the tarmac of an airfi eld, “the paints
were drying out as soon as they were put on the palette,” he said.
He switched to watercolours but they melted in the heat.
The appointment of photojournalist David Dare Parker was the fi
rst time the Memorial has commissioned an offi cial war photographer.
In the past photographers were appointed by the various services.
“I tried to reveal what I witnessed so that the results would
have an effect on public opinion,” Mr Parker said. The professionalism
of ADF members impressed him the most.
The pair’s work portrays many signifi cant events involving Australians,
including the departure of F/A-18s on their last combat operation
over Baghdad and the visit of General Peter Cosgrove to the SAS
at Al Asad airfield, where hidden Iraqi jet fighters had been
discovered.
The exhibition also showcases relics from the war such as Australian
uniforms, an Iraqi sea mine and a defaced portrait of Saddam Hussein.
There is even a chromed AKM assault rifl e taken by the SAS from
the Commander of the Iraqi forces in Western Iraq.
The result is a fascinating display that truly captivates the
viewer.
Australians in Iraq 2003 will remain on show in the Special Exhibitions
Gallery of the Memorial until August 1. Entry is free.
