Overview of the Kokoda Track Memorial Walkway

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Kokoda Track Memorial Walkway

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The Kokoda Track Memorial Walkway is a ‘living’ memorial, an 800 metre walkway which links Concord Hospital with Rhodes Station in Sydney’s inner-west. It runs along the mangrove-studded shores of Brays Bay on the Parramatta River. 

The Walkway was a joint community project, conceived in the ‘Australia Remembers’ commemorative program in 1995. It was officially opened in August 1996, with further capital works being conducted over the years. It is a not-for-profit organisation, overseen by a committed Board of Directors.

The objectives of the Walkway are:

  1. To provide a lasting memorial to all veterans who served in the Second World War, with a particular focus on the South West Pacific area.
  2. To provide an educational experience on this magnificent part of our Australian heritage for current and future generations.
  3. To improve access to the hospital for patients, visitors and staff who travel by rail to Rhodes station.
  4. To provide facilities for healthy lifestyle programs and act as a tourist attraction for visitors to the region.
     

Designed by D.M. Taylor Landscape Architects Pty Ltd, the Walkway features:

  1. Memorial Centrepiece: the ‘heart’ of the Walkway, the Centrepiece contains a striking series of granite walls on which iconic photographic images from the New Guinea campaign have been sandblasted. Water also forms an integral part of the Centrepiece, with it cascading alongside the granite walls.
  2. Ralph Honner Kokoda Education Centre: A state of the art building and the Walkway’s education hub where school and community groups can learn about the Kokoda campaign through videos and an immersive VR program. A number of iconic photographs (from the AWM) taken during the campaign have been enlarged as murals on the Centre’s walls.  Regular military history talks are also held in the Centre. Casual visitors may also drop in to obtain Walkway brochures and newsletters, and purchase merchandise.
  3. Commemorative services: three regular commemorative services are held each year at the Walkway for ANZAC Day, Victory in the Pacific (VP) Day and Kokoda Day. Other less formal services (such as for Remembrance Day) are also held.
  4. Rainforest/tropical vegetation: The Walkway grounds been planted with lush tropical vegetation together with a water course to simulate the environment of the Kokoda Track. 
  5. Memorial Rose Garden: A peaceful and beautiful entrance to the Walkway, featuring three semi-circular memorial walls among beds of roses. On the walls are over 500 plaques plaques dedicated to the memory of units and individuals who served Australia, primarily in WWII and in the Kokoda/Beachheads campaigns. The Memorial Rose Garden is linked to the Walkway by the Bruce Kingsbury V.C. Path.
  6. Information Stations: There are 22 information stations along the Walkway, each describing a significant place or engagement, and each containing historical accounts and images.
  7. Covered function area: used by visiting school and community groups (as well as others for weekend functions), the refurbished covered area has BBQs, power, lighting, a water-refill station and seating for up to 70 people.
  8. Information plaques/statues/gardens: throughout the Walkway, a number of information plaques can be viewed, including ones for Private Bruce Kingsbury VC, Corporal John French VC, Flight Lieutenant William Newton VC and one for the Kokoda campaign attached to the Education Centre. There is also a statue adjacent to the Education Centre commemorating the service of the Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels. Also, in front of the Education Centre is the Private Bruce Kingsbury VC Memorial Garden and commemorative plaque. 
     

 

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