![]() We have just missed the annual Sakura Matsuri (cherry blossom festival held each September), a major event in Cowra’s tourism calendar, but the springtime gardens are resplendent with foliage, their rocky hillsides, manicured hedges, waterfalls, lakes and streams representing the Japanese landscape. The ‘strolling’ gardens were designed in the style of the Edo period when Japan was united under one shogun. Initially viewed as a tourist attraction, the gardens have become a symbol of reconciliation between Japan and Australia.įunded largely by the Japanese Government as a sign of thanks for the respectful treatment of their war dead, with further funding from the Australian Government and private entities, the garden was designed by world-renowned designer, Ken Nakajima, and opened in two stages in 19. The area’s significance to Japanese-Australian relations was further reinforced when the Cowra Japanese Garden and Cultural Centre was later built on Bellevue Hill to commemorate these events. The site, tended by the RSL, is often visited by Japanese dignitaries on their visits to Australia. It’s a place of tranquillity, a light breeze blowing as we wander beneath the Japanese maples. Not far away, the only Japanese war cemetery in Australia houses the graves of those prisoners who perished, now lying in peace beside the graves of Australian soldiers. It’s a tale of desperate men striving to maintain their honour and the few brave soldiers who tried to withstand the attack. It’s chilling to stand on the site today, picturing the scenes of chaos in the darkness of night, as a replay of the events unfolds, broadcast by loudspeaker from the guard tower beside us. The remaining escapees were re-captured and imprisoned. During the escape and ensuing manhunt, 4 Australian soldiers and 231 Japanese soldiers were killed. ![]() It was an extensive camp holding more prisoners than the number of Cowra residents at the time.Īt around 2am on the morning of 5 August 1944, over 1,000 Japanese war prisoners attempted to escape, the largest prisoner of war breakout in modern military history. On a gentle slope overlooking the town, a prisoner of war camp was set up during World War II to hold Japanese, Italian, Korean, Chinese and Indonesian prisoners of war. ![]() When we visit, it’s tranquil, the Lachlan Valley stretching out before our view, the town surrounded by vineyards, farmland and waterways.īut this land holds a more troubled history. If there’s one town in New South Wales that proclaims peace, it’s Cowra. ![]()
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