On Saturday, August 3, 2019, Cowra Voices storytelling app was launched in Cowra as part of the 75th anniversary commemorations of the Cowra Breakout, and is now available from the App Store or Google Play
Cowra Voices is launched!
75 years since the Cowra Breakout….
August 5, 1944 was the fateful day of the Cowra Breakout when around 1000 Japanese POWs escaped using makeshift weapons, ending in the deaths of 234 people including 4 Australian guards.
The Japanese Garden and Cultural Centre: where spirits rest among trees and rocks
The Japanese Garden and Cultural Centre is one of the main attractions in Cowra, and is a symbol of the deep and enduring friendship the people of Cowra share with the people of Japan.
Bellevue Hill, the best view of Cowra
Cowra means rock in Wiradjuri, the language of the traditional custodians of the Land.
Cowra Voices enters final stage of development….
The Cowra Voices app is now in its final stage of development after the intensive and extensive testing conducted in Cowra in late June.
Cowra Voices ready for a test drive!
A test drive version of Cowra Voices is finally ready!
Who’s Buried at Cowra Japanese War Cemetery: Civilian Internees Masu Kusano, Jiro Muramatsu, Liong Tjwan Kang
POWs, airmen or military personnel are not the only people buried at Cowra Japanese War Cemetery. Civilian internees who died on Australian soil during the Pacific War are also buried in Cowra.
Who’s Buried at Cowra Japanese War Cemetery: The first Japanese POW, Tadao Minami
Tadao Minami is perhaps the most well known of all the prisoners of war buried at the Cowra Japanese War Cemetery. He was the first Japanese POW to be captured in Australia.
Where peace and reconciliation began: Cowra Japanese War Cemetery
Cowra Japanese War Cemetery was where the peace and reconciliation story between Cowra and Japanese people began.
Australia’s first World Peace Bell
The World Peace Bell is a symbol of hope for world peace. Cowra's Peace Bell is Australia's first, and the only bell presented to a small town in recognition of Cowra's unique story of peace and reconciliation.
Sakura Avenue: linking Cowra children to Japanese people
Sakura Avenue is a cherry tree planting initiative that links Cowra children to people in Japan.
Narrating the Cowra story
This week, Cowra's own Lawrance Ryan recorded the narration for the Cowra Voices app at the ABC Central West studios in Orange, concluding all the audio recordings for the storytelling app.
Cowra celebrates Japan: report from the 2019 Festival of International Understanding
The annual Cowra Festival of International Understanding held between March 15th - 17th, 2019 celebrated Japan as its guest nation. Japan was the first official guest nation in 1966, and is the only country in the world to be the guest twice.
Recording the voices of dead people
Cowra Voices finishes recording the voices of the people buried in the Japanese War Cemetery
An email from Cowra
A story of a stone lantern, student exchange, and enduring friendship between the people of Cowra and Japan.
