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SIr John Monash Centre - Villers - Bretonneux France

The Sir John Monash Centre was commissioned in 2006, and its design was unveiled by ustralian Prime Minister Tony Abbott on 26 April 2015, the day after Anzac Day, following an international design competition won by Cox Architecture. The centre is named after General Sir John Monash, who led the Australian Corps on the Western Front in 1918. The A$100 million cost was met by the Australian Government. The centre's opening was in 2018, the centenary year of the end of the war, with the official opening ceremony held prior to Anzac Day, 25 April.

Official opening

The centre opened to visitors on 16 April 2018. It was officially opened by Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on 24 April 2018, saying "This new centre expresses our gratitude for all our men and women who fought—and continue to fight—for our values and our interests. And in the midst of the stone, and steel, and glass of this serene monument, we know that the best way to honour the diggers of 1918 is to support the servicemen and women, the veterans and the families of today."

Also in attendance was French Prime Minister, Édouard Philippe, who paid tribute to Australian diggers, "We will never forget that 100 years ago, a young and brave nation on the other side of the world made history by writing our history" and, in recognition of Monash, said his tactics had given the allied forces a critical advantage.