Kokoda Memorial

Description of Work
The Kokoda Memorial is located overlooking the township of Jindabyne and Lake Jindabyne in the Snowy Mountains region of southern NSW. This memorial commemorates the participation and sacrifice of the 3rd Battalion AMF during the Kokoda campaign, a series of desperate and bitterly contested battles along the Kokoda Trail (also Kokoda Track) between July and December 1942.
  
This was at a time when the Japanese forces had swept through South East Asia and the western Pacific, ejected the U.S. forces from the Philippines and taken control of and established bases in the Solomons and New Britain. Darwin was subject to regular air raids and at that time the majority of the regular Australian enlisted forces were committed against the Axis Powers in Europe and North Africa. With the Japanese invasion fleet headed for Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea destroyed in the Battle of the Coral Sea, a two-pronged overland invasion of PNG was launched at Gona and Milne Bay with the aim to take Port Moresby by land.

The 3rd Battalion was one of the Militia units conscripted into the defence of Australia shortly after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. They were sent to Port Moresby with other units and at Ioribaiwa, with the Japanese within just 48km of Port Moresby - their objective with its port facilities and airfield - relieved the much maligned 39th Militia and Papuan Infantry Battalion who had staged a fighting withdrawal against overwhelmingly superior forces along the Kokoda Trail during seven weeks between July and September, 1942.

The tide of battle then turned in favour of the Australians with the Japanese amphibious landing repelled at Milne Bay and American landings at Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands diverting their priorities away from PNG. The Japanese were pushed back to Gona and the Kokoda campaign concluded early in 1943 with the final defeat of Japanese forces at Gona, Buno and Sanananda. Source.

There is an annual Kokoda Day ceremony held at the memorial rock each year to remember the brave soldiers of the 3rd Battalion. The Jindabyne ceremony is organised by Neen Pendergast OAM, Greta Jones and members of the Golby, Green and Barry families. Until recently, the East Jindabyne Kokado Park was the first of its kind in NSW and exists in no small part due to the efforts of former Snowy River Shire Councillor Neen Pendergast.

Location of Art

Kosciuszko Road, near petrol station at East Jindabyne NSW

Installed
1991

Primary Materials
bronze and stone

Type
Monument