People attending the memorial service held in Forbes on Wednesday. (All photos on this page taken by Kate Howarth.)
A new photographic display detailing the Australian response to the Bali terrorist attack will be on show at the Australian War Memorial.
“The Bali bombings will be remembered as the date that terrorism hit home,” Australian War Memorial Director Matt Anderson said.
The Royal Australian Air Force evacuated critically injured people out of Indonesia as part of Operation Bali Assist – the largest Australian aeromedical evacuation since the Vietnam War.
The Australian Federal Police were invited to assist the Indonesian National Police and played a key role in investigation breakthroughs that led to the arrest, trial and execution of some of the perpetrators.
A display detailing the aftermath, co-curated with the Australian Federal Police Museum, is dedicated to the victims of the 2002 Bali bombings and the government agencies, including the Australian Defence Force and Consular Officers who put themselves in harm’s way in the immediate aftermath of the bombing, and the Australian Federal Police, who sought justice for victims and their families.
The exhibition includes images taken by AFP members in the aftermath of the attack, including a photograph of former Prime Minister John Howard inspecting the site of the bombing.
Images taken inside Paddy’s Bar show where Australian Federal Police investigators were able to source several pieces of tartan fabric and other matter that made up the explosive vest used in the first detonation.
Visitors will need a free ticket to the Australian War Memorial to see this display, which will be on show until 20 November 2022.