It is rare that a WWI collection of this significance becomes public. 

In private hands for a hundred years, this collection documents one man’s deeply personal account of war and tells a slightly different tale to others; one never heard before. 

Comprised of a detailed ‘rough diary’, postcards, photographs, drawings, letters, documents and objects from WWI and beyond, Museum of Perth is privileged to have worked on this extraordinary collection. We have transcribed the entirety of Reg’s war diary (available on artistatwar.com); examined and plotted his various contemporary locations on a map; marvelled at his first-hand account of exploring the newly-discovered Shellal Mosaic with Rev Woods; and extensively researched Reg’s chalkboard drawings to confirm who the people mentioned were, and what YMCA and other events were held. 

In fact it is Reg’s photos of his chalkboards that make this collection unique. They are perhaps the only record that these events occurred when and where they did, and they give us a very good look into the rarely-revealed world of the rest and recreation of soldiers at war.

Museum of Perth is extremely proud to present Reg Walters: An Artist at War. 

Reece Harley, Executive Director
Shannon Lovelady, Curator & Project Historian   
Joanne Hyland, Co-Curator