To commemorate the 100-year anniversary of the Gallipoli landings, the Library has pieced together an exhibition from diary entries and photographs of the Australian diggers who were there.

Curator Alison Briggs says the exhibition, We will remember them: The 1st AIF in Gallipoli, brings home the human tragedy that unfolded on the shores of Turkey and provides a personal view of the ill-fated campaign.

“These are the voices of the men and women who were there and their stories are as courageous as they are heartbreakingly sad,” said Alison. “Some of the trenches were just metres apart and we have marked that distance in the exhibition space so you can see how close the combat was.”

The exhibition also features items from Macquarie’s Australian History Museum, including nurse’s capes and bullets from the battlefield, as well as photos from the Australian War Memorial and books and other items from a number of collections.

The exhibition is located near the Lachlan and Elizabeth Macquarie Room just inside the library entrance, and will be on display throughout May.