War Memorial director gets another term

The government has reappointed Australian War Memorial director Steve Gower for another 18 months.
Veterans Affairs Minister Warren Snowdon said Mr Gower, whose current appointment expires at the end of February, would see out a final term and launch a hunt for a successor later in the year.
Mr Gower, 70, a former army officer and Vietnam veteran, has held the position since March 1996. The 18-month appointment is less than the usual two- or three-year terms.
"The Australian government is committed to ensuring the memorial continues as a world-class place of remembrance and commemoration, and the memorial had been extensively improved and expanded over the period of Mr Gower's leadership," Mr Snowdon said in a statement.
uring his time as director, Mr Gower has overseen development of Anzac Hall, the CEW Bean Building and the post-1945 galleries and more recently the Hall of Valour.
An education program for more than 120,000 Australian schoolchildren has been established.
Mr Snowdon said the memorial had also been inducted into the Tourism Hall of Fame in recognition of its status as a world-renowned facility.
Continued strong leadership was vital in the lead-up to major commemorations including the centenary of Gallipoli in 2015, Mr Snowdon said.
"It's important to make sure we have sufficient time to identify the best candidate with the unique set of skills required, and I've asked the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs to start a recruitment process later in the year," he said.
The chairman of the Australian War Memorial Council, retired general Peter Cosgrove, said this extension would enable the memorial to move forward in planning future redevelopment projects, commemorative events and exhibition programs.
That includes refurbishment of the World War I galleries as well as ANZAC and Remembrance Day commemorations.