CEW Bean Foundation

"Honouring the memory of Australian war correspondents"

Charles Bean

C.E.W. Bean (1879 – 1968), journalist and historian, was chosen by a ballot of his colleagues to be the official war correspondent attached to Australian troops in World War 1 and later became the official historian of the war.

He helped to inspire the Gallipoli legend when he wrote in his book The Story of Anzac : “it was on 25th April, 1915, that the consciousness of Australian nationhood was born.”

The C.E.W. Bean Foundation has been established to honour him and commemorate Australian war reporting. This includes the works of journalists, photographers, artists, film makers and camera crews. The aim of the Bean Foundation is to build a permanent reminder to this distinguished band of Australians whose contribution to understanding our history goes far beyond their dispatches from the front.

The basic task of the Foundation is to collect, collate and conserve examples of their works, mount exhibitions and commission, where appropriate, books, films and lectures to promote the memory of those involved in telling the story of Australians in conflict.

The C.E.W. Bean Foundation is supported by the National Press Club, the National Library of Australia and the Australian War Memorial and was established with the assistance of the National Council for the Centenary of Federation.

The C.E.W. Bean Foundation will be seeking public support for a permanent memorial in the Australian War Memorial precinct to those who have worked as correspondents covering the various conflicts in which Australia has been involved. This memorial will be dedicated to those who have lost their lives in the course of their work, and to all the others who contributed to an understanding of Australia’s involvement in various conflicts over more than a century.

  • Honour Roll

    This Honour Roll of journalists, artists, photographers, cine cameramen and crews killed and wounded in action is in the process of being compiled.

  • Links

    Links to additional information about CEW Bean and the foundation.