"... The collections document Australia's military heritage from the nineteenth century to the present ... These collections grew from the foresight of C. E. W. Beam and other enlightened individuals during the First World War. They realised that the heritage of the Australian Imperial Force must not be lost and must be made accessible to all Australians. The official records, the letters and diaries, the books, photographs and serials they gathered are the nucleus of the Research Centre collections. Today the collections document all major wars involving Australians, from the wars in New Zealand in the 1860s to the Gulf War and United Nations (UN) peacekeeping operations. They document what has preceded these wars and the effect these wars have had on post war Australian society ..." -- Introduction.