Re-Opening of the Sandakan Interpretive Pavilion in Malaysia
The Interpretive Pavilion in the Sandakan Memorial Park in Sabah, Malaysia, will be re-opened to the public early next year following its rebuild and the upgrading of the exhibition.
The Sandakan Memorial Park is located adjacent to the site of the Second World War prisoner of war (POW) camp. From 1942 to 1943, some 2,700 Allied servicemen were interned at Sandakan, the great majority of whom had been captured after the fall of Singapore in 1942. The POWs were used as labour to construct a military airstrip and its service roads.
The Sandakan Memorial Park commemorates the death of more than 2,400 Australian and British POWs, at Sandakan, on the death marches, and at Ranau. Only 6 POWs survived the death marches – all Australians – and these men were later able to attest to the atrocities and brutality inflicted by the Japanese. Many locals also risked their lives to help the POWs and escapees.
The original pavilion, built in 1999, had deteriorated in the tropical conditions and to ensure the continued safety of visitors, the pavilion was rebuilt. The Australian Government announced a funding of $5.1 million to upgrade the pavilion in the 2022-23 Budget. The new Interpretive Pavilion incorporates features from the original building, including the front iron gates and stained-glass window, while reclaimed timber has been used for seats and floorboards.
The interpretive content has also been refreshed to convey the experience of those who endured atrocities at Sandakan. The central feature of the exhibition will be a column representing the ‘Big Tree’, which towered over the huts and was a landmark of the Sandakan POW camp.
Anzac Day services are held at the Memorial Obelisk within the park and DVA also supports the Malaysian Government with its Sandakan Memorial Day service on 15 August each year. Both events are free and open to the public. For more information on the Sandakan Memorial Park, visit the DVA website.