About

Join acclaimed Australian musician Fred Smith, for a reflective evening of music and storytelling, honouring service and sacrifice.

Drawing on his experiences in Bougainville, Solomon Islands and Afghanistan,
Fred brings to life the human stories of conflict, connection and memory through the power of live performance.

Australia is uniquely blessed with the collection of iconic songs about the experiences of our soldiers in offshore conflicts. The tradition which began far back as 1917 with Henry Lawson and his searing five verse poem of loss and redemption, Scots of the Riverina, and of course, Eric Bogle’s song The Band Played Waltz Sing Matilda, and John Schumann’s I Was Only 19 all capture moments and experiences of what it was like for our brave, men and women throughout the varied conflicts of the First and Second World Wars, Korea, Vietnam and into the modern conflicts of today.

Unforgotten combines these classics with songs that Fred wrote while working as a diplomat on Australian government deployments on Peacekeeping Operations in the South Pacific conflict zones in the early 2000’s and more recently in Afghanistan, where Fred worked alongside Australian troops in Uruzgan province between 2009 and 2013. In 2021, Fred went back to Afghanistan and ended up working from Kabul airport and the evacuation that followed the end of the mission and the collapse of the Afghan Republic that ensued.

Unforgotten brings all these songs to life with footage and imagery projected on the big screen behind the band, combined with narrative commentary that puts the conflicts that inspired these songs into strategic and historical context, all coupled with some cheeky Aussie humour to help the medicine go down. As the world becomes a more dangerous place this show is a timely reminder of the process that we have paid to preserve our freedoms and the way of life.

An easy raconteur with a deep catalogue of great songs, Fred and band never repeat a song from set to set at a festival. His solo albums and collaborative recordings with Liz Frencham and The Spooky Men's Chorale are on many people’s ‘best ever’ lists. His songs capture the human complexities of the countries he has worked in - Afghanistan, Papua New Guinea, the USA, and lately Australia – with poetry that is wry, tender and comprehending.

Accessibility
Wheelchair and Carers Seating

There is reserved wheelchair accessible seating available in Seats 1, 2, 21, 22 of Row L with carers seats adjacent.
These seats can only be booked by contacting the AWM directly on (02) 6206 9813
(please note, these seats are not available through the online web ticketing system and all seats, including carers, have a price attached).

Shows

Matinee
Saturday 15 August 2026 at 2 pm

Theatre Doors Open at 1.30 PM
Foyer Doors Open at 1 PM

Location

 Theatre, Australian War Memorial

Main Entrance (Lower), Treloar Cres, Campbell , ACT 2612