WHO ARE WE ?
The Franco-Australian Museum, situated in the Victoria School, and opened in 1975, illustrates the role played by Australian troops in the First World War.
It displays many very moving documents (letters, personal papers and objects, photographs) as well as facsimiles of official documents, uniforms, etc...
It also includes a documentation centre and a video room with seating for 30 viewers.
Exhibition room
Video room Documentation centre
It was established jointly by the town council and the Franco-Australian Association. The aim of this association is to preserve the memory of the Australian troops and their participation in the battles of Villers-Bretonneux, and to commemorate the men who suffered and died defending the town.
Its overall objective is to heighten awareness of the history and role played by the Australian Expeditionary Force during the Great War and to ensure that these pages in our common history serve as a basis for our present and future relations.
With the aid of the town council, the Association has organized an annual Australia Week since 2002.
A few facts about the town of Villers-Bretonneux
Situated in an agricultural region, Villers-Bretonneux, a town of 4000 inhabitants, owed its economic development to the hosiery and textile industries during the Second half of the 19th century, and up until World War I.
The town still has some textile firms, but current activity is mostly in the agri-food sector.
As early as 1920, Melbourne "adopted" Villers-Bretonneux, and in 1984, it was twinned with Robinvale (Victoria), named after Lieutenant George Robin Cuttle, who was killed when his plane was shot down at Caix, a village close to Villers-Bretonneux.
Sign at the entrance of Villers-Bretonneux