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A shock funding cut has forced the Australian War Memorial to cancel its travelling exhibitions. The exhibitions, including one to commemorate the centenary of World War I, were part of the memorial's program to take exhibits to people around Australia who could not travel to Canberra. Director Brendan Nelson said late on Monday the memorial had decided to halt "its popular and successful travelling exhibitions program immediately" due to budgetary cuts. The exhibitions being dropped include Remember Me: The Lost Diggers of Vignacourt, Ben Quilty: After Afghanistan, Nurses: From Zululand to Afghanistan, A Camera on Gallipoli and Reality in Flames. "After 17 years of its co-sponsorship, the Department of Veterans' Affairs informed the memorial last week that it has found it necessary to cease funding the travelling exhibition program effective immediately. There is no plan for it to be reinstated in the foreseeable future," a statement from the memorial said. The sudden decision comes as the memorial is revamping its World War I galleries and gearing up for commemorations for the centenary of WWI. Dr Nelson said the successful travelling exhibitions program was established about 17 years ago, with exhibitions being displayed in museums and galleries across Australia. "In delivering travelling exhibitions to the Australian public, particularly in regional and rural areas, the memorial has told the story of Australia's military history with support of the memorial's extensive national collection," he said. "The travelling exhibitions program has been delivered through supplementary funding of $800,000 a year from DVA. "The department will certainly not have found this an easy decision, but nonetheless one it could not avoid. "As a result, the memorial must cease the travelling exhibitions program. This will take effect immediately." Current travelling exhibitions will return to the memorial once they conclude at their current venues. The impact on the memorial's forward exhibition program commitments is being assessed and consideration is being given to possible alternative external sources for funding. The memorial will seek private-sector support for a new program if possible.

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