Sir John Monash Centre
Location
Villers-Bretonneux is a village sixteen kilometres east of Amiens on the straight main road to St Quentin.
Villers-Bretonneux Military Cemetery and Australian Memorial are about two kilometres north of the village on the east side of the road to Fouilloy.
The Memorial is extremely well sign posted from all directions and is visible from some distance.
The Monash Centre is behind the Australian Memorial and can be approached either directly from the car park (walking up the right hand perimeter fence) or through the cemetery.
| GPS | N | E | OSM |
|---|---|---|---|
| Decimal | 49.886969 | 2.512854 | Map |
The Centre
Villers-Bretonneux became famous in 1918, when the German advance on Amiens ended in the capture of the village by their tanks and infantry on 24th April. On the following day, the 4th and 5th Australian Divisions, with units of the 8th and 18th Divisions, recaptured the whole of the village and on 8th August 1918, the 2nd and 5th Australian Divisions advanced from its eastern outskirts in the Battle of Amiens.
As part of the Centennial commemorations this new centre was opened on 2th April 2018. It uses cutting edge technology to explain the lives of ordinary Australian soldiers (though much of that would be applicable to any nationality).
The battle for Villers-Bretonneux is vividly explained in a video film that uses light and other effects to put the watcher in the midst of the fighting.
Panels offer information on the weapons, aircraft and tanks involved in the latter days of the war. A video timeline graphically explains what went on in the region.
To fully appreciate the various panels and information boards it is necessary to have a handset AND a headset. You cannot listen to the commentaries over the speaker. The solution is either to have the App downloaded onto your smartphone and come with suitable earphones, or borrow a handset from the main desk and pay a nominal sum for a pair of basic earphones — available in the café.
Opening Times
| Opening Times | Horaires |
|---|---|
| Covid-19 | Closed/Fermé |
| Every Day | Tous les jours |
| 10:00 to 17:00 hours | 10h à 17h |
| Closed | Fermé |
| 25th December to 1st January and 1st February to 21st February |
Du 25/12 au 01/01 et du 01/02 au 21/02 |
| Entrance Fee | Tarifs |
| Free | Gratuit |
There are toilet facilities available and a small café.
Do not forget to download the SJMC App and fully charge your mobile device.
There isn’t a link to the App from the official site (a stunning omission) but it can be found by searching for “SJMC” on your device’s app store.