Kundasang War Memorial, War memorial in Kundasang, Malaysia.
Kundasang War Memorial is a World War II memorial in Kundasang, Malaysia, with four linked gardens: the Australian Garden, the English Rose Garden, the Borneo Garden and the Contemplation Garden. A columned passage in the Contemplation Garden leads past a reflection pond aligned with Mount Kinabalu to marble panels installed in 2011 that bear the names of all the victims.
Major G.S. Carter, a New Zealand veteran working for Shell, proposed the memorial in 1962 to honour the 2,428 Australian and British prisoners who died at Sandakan and on the death marches to Ranau; only six Australians survived. Local architect J.C. Robinson led construction, and it opened that same year. After decades of disrepair, Thai expatriate Sevee Charuruks began restoring it in 2005, with later Australian government funding.
The Borneo Garden honours Sabahans of various ethnic groups who helped the prisoners and were killed for it. It grows plants native to Sabah, including the rare Rothschild's slipper orchid (Paphiopedilum rothschildianum), found only on Mount Kinabalu.
The site is open daily with clear pathways through the different garden sections that work for visitors of all mobility levels. Plan time to read the information plaques near the name panels, and wear comfortable shoes as you explore the grounds.
A Thai expatriate named Sevee Charuruks led the restoration of the memorial and received honors from both Britain and Australia for his work. His contribution shows how people from different countries have dedicated themselves to preserving this history.
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