Japanese Gardens & POW Camp

Today we were moved by the essential decency of the country people who in 1944 were (and still are today) capable of reaching beyond racism and hatred and seeing the humanity and cultural differences which define Japan.

First up, we stopped at the Visitor Information Centre to watch the story of the Prisoners of War (POW) outbreak as told by the hologram of a small girl, a resident of Cowra, who describes the events of 5 August 1944 when 378 Japanese POWs escaped from the camp over the hill from the town. The display is beautifully executed and well worth the time.

Next up, we explored the actual site of the Cowra POW Camp and the Cowra Breakout. With four compounds of just six hectares each, it was hard to imagine how over 4,000 prisoners - mostly Italians, Germans and Japanese - once fitted in. A solemn but tranquil resting place.

But the highlight of our visit to Cowra was the superb Japanese Garden and Cultural Centre, established with the aid of the Japanese Government in 1978-79 to honour both Australian and Japanese dead.

Last but not least, we gave the World Peace Bell (a replica of the original which hangs in the United Nations Building in New York) a loud and proud ring to acknowledge how the dramatic trauma in the history of the district has led the town to focus on and promote the values of pacifism and internationalism.Read more