War Memorial slams ABC over ‘insensitive’ Last Post edit

The Australian War Memorial has made an official complaint, claiming Four Corners may have “deliberately misled” viewers by showing construction occurring during the sacred Last Post Ceremony.

The Australian War Memorial has made an official complaint to the ABC, alleging Four Corners edited vision so it appeared noisy construction was occurring during the Last Post.

The Daily Telegraph can reveal the War Memorial has written to ABC Chairman Kim Williams and is also dealing with the public broadcaster’s Ombudsman over several concerns relating to the episode on Monday March 10.

A key component of their complaint is a belief the ABC cut together the Last Post Ceremony alongside vision of construction works, which are continuing as part of the War Memorial’s $500 million expansion.

In one of the early scenes of the Four Corners program - titled “Sacrifice” - reporter Mark Willacy says: “this place of commemoration - is also a construction site.” The Last Post is then suddenly heard alongside the images and loud sounds of cranes and machinery.

Still images from the ABC's Four Corners Episode on March 10, 2025 which was highly critical of the Australian War Memorial's expansion. Source: ABC

When approached for comment - War Memorial Director Matt Anderson said they were “disappointed” by the episode, which they believed gave a “false impression” that construction was happening during the Ceremony.

“The Australian War Memorial has had a stop work order since 2020 to prevent construction noise from disrupting commemorative ceremonies including the daily Last Post Ceremony,” Mr Anderson told this masthead.

“At best, it was remarkably insensitive to all for whom the sounding of The Last Post is a most solemn act and tribute. At worst, it appears it was a deliberate edit to mislead the audience,” he claimed.

Mr Anderson confirmed the War Memorial had “several complaints” regarding what he believed was the “misrepresentation of staff and activities in the Four Corners episode.”

The Last Post Ceremony occurs daily from 4:30pm in the Memorial’s Commemorative Courtyard.

Director of the Australian War Memorial, Matt Anderson PSM, said the ABC’s editing job was either ‘remarkably insensitive’ or a ‘deliberate edit to mislead the audience.’. Picture: Martin Ollman

This masthead understands the ABC filmed the Last Post Ceremony several months ago and filmed the ongoing building works at the nearby Anzac Hall on separate days.

The episode on March 10 was highly critical of the Memorial’s $500 million expansion and their dealings and relationships with the Morrison Government.

When approached for comment, the ABC insisted there ‘is no implication in the program that the ceremony and the construction are occurring simultaneously.’

“There is a clear break in scene between the ceremony and the footage of the construction site. Both the ceremony and the Last Post are presented respectfully and in context. The ABC stands by this important piece of public interest reporting by Mark Willacy and the Four Corners Team,” a spokeswoman for the public broadcaster said.

In September - Channel Seven’s Spotlight discovered the ABC had added extra gunshots to helicopter footage of a mission in Afghanistan, in a story by the same journalist, Mr Willacy, which made allegations of potential war crimes by Australian troops.

A war crimes report by Four Corners reporter Mark Willacy came under scrutiny fire last year when it was revealed additional gunshots had been added to mission footage in Afghanistan. Picture: Gaye Gerard

An independent review of later found “no evidence that anybody … made a conscious or deliberate decision to include additional gunshots” and the simple error was an ‘inadvertent consequence’ of attempts to create an “effective story”.

Outgoing ABC Managing Director David Anderson issued an apology to the veterans and members of the military who had been caught up in the “matter of sincere regret.”

Several war crimes stories by the ABC have also been scrubbed from the internet, including those relating to retired Special Forces Commander Heston Russell, who successfully sued them for defamation in 2023.

Originally published as War Memorial slams ABC over ‘insensitive’ Last Post edit