It’s a simple cross of nails mounted on a small wooden plaque. But the story behind the cross and how it came to be a powerful symbol of peace and reconciliation after the Second World War is a poignant one.

The cross is believed to be a Coventry Cross of Nails, made from nails salvaged from Coventry Cathedral in England after it was destroyed by German bombing in November 1940.

It was discovered at St Paul’s Anglican Church in Hay, NSW, and gifted to the Australian War Memorial.