Australian War Memorial amends Ben Roberts-Smith display after former soldier charged with war crimes | Ben Roberts-Smith
The Australian War Memorial has updated the exhibition dedicated to Ben Roberts-Smith after the former Special Air Service (SAS) corporal was formally charged with five counts of war crime murder.
The changes implemented Friday mean that almost half of the identifying plaque in the museum’s Hall of Courage is now dedicated to incidents that occurred after military service, starting with the first reports of abuse in 2016.
Previously, the show concluded with the statement that Roberts-Smith had not been charged with any crime.
The updated text as of Friday is as follows:
“In April 2026, Roberts-Smith was charged with five counts of murder, which is a war crime. The legal process continues.”
At a media conference on Friday, Australian War Memorial director Matt Anderson said the museum remained committed to the principle of the presumption of innocence as well as keeping the public informed.
“The memorial’s commitment throughout this entire process has been to ensure that the panel in the galleries is up to date and covers the facts,” Anderson said.
“I am very conscious now, [given] Given the seriousness of the alleged charges, the most important thing we can all do now is to let justice take its course… and I will not say or do anything today or at any stage at the Australian War Memorial that would affect or affect opportunities for a fair trial.
“What we have consistently done is update the panel in the galleries to keep the visiting public informed of where the case stands, and we did that again today.”
Roberts-Smith’s equipment, uniform and medal groups will remain on display, Anderson said.
“Ben Roberts-Smith, VC, MG’s presence in the Australian War Memorial’s Hall of Valor is due to his actions at Tizak in the Shah Wali Kot district of Kandahar province, Afghanistan, on 11 June 2010,” he said.
“That is why he is in the galleries in the Hall of Courage along with others who received the Victoria Cross for their actions that day.”
The timing of the panel update, as Roberts-Smith awaits a bail hearing, comes at an inconvenient time for the institution, which opened 7,000 square feet of gallery space on Friday as part of a controversial $500 million expansion project.
The redevelopment was designed to modernize the site and provide more space to honor recent conflicts, but public and media attention remained on the Hall of Valor.
The Roberts-Smith panel in this chamber is expected to remain in its current form until any criminal case is decided.
