Parliament House Canberra ACT 2602
Telephone 02 6277 7820 Facsimile 02 6273 4140
The Hon Alan Griffin MP
Minister for Veterans’ Affairs
VA094
Wednesday, 18 November 2009
$40,000 TO PROTECT TRIBUTE TO SANDAKAN-RANAU DEATH MARCH POWS
The Australian Government is investing $40,000 to protect a new memorial and the site of the
prisoners’ last camp on the infamous Sandakan Death Marches, Minister for Veterans’ Affairs
Alan Griffin announced today.
The grant has been provided under the Overseas Privately-Constructed Memorial Restoration
Program to help install fencing around the site of the ‘last camp’ where the remaining survivors
of the Sandakan-Ranau Death Marches were murdered by their Japanese captors in 1945.
Mr Griffin said the funding would help pay for fencing that would protect the largely untouched
site from wandering livestock, unauthorised entry and ensure it was preserved into the future.
“Historian Lynette Silver has put a lot of effort into establishing the Last Camp Memorial Park in
conjunction with the landowner Dr Othman Minudin, to ensure this important part of our wartime
history is preserved and protected for many years to come,” Mr Griffin said.
The Last Camp Memorial Park is located at the area believed to have been the last camp site of
the remaining survivors of the Sandakan-Ranau Death Marches. The memorial was dedicated
on 27 August 2009 – the anniversary of when the last 15 surviving POWs were murdered,
twelve days after the Second World War ended.
“The courage and determination these men displayed in the face of the most severe adversity
and certain death is inspirational, and we should ensure their service and sacrifice is never
forgotten” Mr Griffin said.
“Protecting the grounds of the Last Camp Memorial Park will ensure this important site, part of
one of the darkest chapters of our wartime history, will be preserved. It will also permit
systematic investigation for historical artefacts and their conservation.”
More than 2400 Australian and British soldiers died at the Sandakan prisoner of war camp and
on the ‘death marches’ from Sandakan to Ranau in 1945. Only six Australians escaped and
survived Sandakan – two managing to escape in the early stages of the second march with the
help of villagers, and four more successfully escaped from Ranau into the jungle, where they
were cared for by local people.
For more information on the Overseas Privately-Constructed Memorial Restoration Program
Media inquiries: Belinda Cole 0437 863 109
The VVCS – Veterans and Veterans Families Counselling Service can be contacted 24 hours a day, seven days a
week on 1800 011 046.To receive the Minister’s media releases automatically by email subscribe at
minister.dva.gov.au/subscribe.htm
NEWS 
