About

The Western Australian Military Digital Library Inc (WAMDL) is a not-for-profit registered charity, whose focus is to preserve, and display military related material with a connection to Western Australia and showcase them as digital images via this freely accessible online platform.
Currently, we have the records and stories of over 1300 men and women who served in all areas of military service available in the Library, in conflicts ranging from the colonial era to recent decades, with more being added every week. Included amongst the more than 35,000 digital images are personal items such as letters, diaries, photos, drawings, postcards, and memoirs sharing firsthand insights, experiences, and memories.
We have literally blown the dust off the past, displaying each of the images on our digital mantle with interest and pride. The families who have shared their stories know that the words of their relatives are unedited, presented exactly as they were written and will be preserved for the future.
Our digital collection includes many unique and original items, much of which are not available to view elsewhere online or in person. These and many more items are available to everyone, including historians, educators, students, librarians, artists and anyone with an interest in the military history of Western Australia. As anyone can contribute to WAMDL, it is a wonderful platform for the Western Australian community to add to, share, and remember its collective history.

ORIGIN OF THE DIGITAL LIBRARY

The Western Australian Military Digital Library was established as a joint project of FamilyHistoryWA and the Army Museum of Western Australia. In 2016, the Army Museum requested the assistance of FamilyHistoryWA, and specifically the Military Special Interest Group, to digitise and transcribe its extensive collection of historical records, in order to make them publicly and freely available as a community service. The project began informally in February 2017 and an agreement between the Army Museum and FamilyHistoryWA was signed on 28 October 2017. This website was launched on 26 March 2021.
The next step in the journey was to become an independent entity and the Digital Library became an Incorporated Association in November 2021. We are now a not-for-profit registered charity, independent of FamilyHistoryWA and with our own Board of Governance.

PROCESS

The original records are digitised and preserved as high quality images. Smaller versions of the images are then uploaded onto this website. They are immediately accessible to any searcher and do not require a membership. Documents such as diaries and letters are then transcribed to enable them to become fully searchable. Each person has their own page on the website and as new records are digitised, links between people and publications are created. If you would like to be involved in any stage of this process please contact the Project Co-ordinators via the Contribute page.

FUTURE

There is no end date for this project. The Army Museum of Western Australia was our founding partner and we are now forging partnerships with other organisations and individuals. Material is continously being made available to us to digitise as community members, researchers and organisations offer their own memorabilia to us to add to the site. We do not hold or store the original items so there are no constraints on the size of this Digital Library.