More than 500 people paid their respects towards the 36,400 Australian service personnel who were detained as prisoners of war at the 19th memorial ceremony held at the weekend.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Bill Bahr, who is one of six trustees of the Australian Ex Prisoners of War Memorial, said each year the event, marked at the Ballarat Botanical Gardens, was vital in highlighting the people whose names were inscribed on the plaque, but also the families left behind.
He said this year's service was particularly special for the region's younger generations. "There's a saying that says 'if you forget your past you repeat it in the future,' and so it's important our children are aware of war and its futility," Mr Bahr said.
He said although the event was confronting at times, eliciting an emotional response from some attendees on Sunday, it was a timely reminder especially in today's environment.
"We need to remember that people can be easily confused into a war and we see it now over in Ukraine and Russia and it's just sad that that sort of thing still happens," Mr Bahr said.
While it is unknown how many prisoners of war were captured from Ballarat, the numbers are estimated to be between 1500 to 2000.
The event was hosted by WIN News Victoria lead presenter Bruce Roberts with performances by the Australian Army Band Melbourne.
This year there were no former prisoners of war present at the service due to many being well in their centenary years.
In Victoria, there are five ex-prisoners of war alive, and nationwide there is a total of 21 left.
Of the Australian prisoners of war who never returned, more than 4000 of them lie in graves marked "Known only unto God".
Ballarat's Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial was opened on February 6 2004 by General Peter Cosgrove and was witnessed by more than 11,000 people including the former Victorian RSL president Bruce Ruxton, the then Ballarat RSL branch president Phil Horwood and the then City of Ballarat mayor David Vendy.
The memorial was made possible through a $1.1 million donation from Tattersall's, a $200,000 federal government grant and community raised funds.
The plaque was the culmination of more than eight years of planning. The idea for a memorial commenced in 1996 during a Remembrance Day ceremony. A committee was formed shortly after where weekly meetings were held.
IN THE NEWS:
Have you tried The Courier's app? It can be downloaded here.
Malvika Hemanth
Malvika has a strong interest in covering stories on welfare, cost of living pressures and the arts. She works on the unceded lands of the Wadawurrung people and pays her respect to elders past, present and emerging.
Malvika has a strong interest in covering stories on welfare, cost of living pressures and the arts. She works on the unceded lands of the Wadawurrung people and pays her respect to elders past, present and emerging.
