 However, despite the size of Australia's contribution to the fighting, there were many Australians who had had no actual experience of it.Realising this, and having witnessed the impact of the war first hand, Charles Bean, who was instrumental in editing and writing the official history of Australia's involvement in the war, advocated the need for a national memorial and was one of the main architects in establishing the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.The experience of the war also perpetuated many notions about the Australian character and national identity that endure to this day.