"COWRA an ‘International’ Aussie town" a Cowra Travel Page by tiabunna

Cowra was just another typical comfortable small Australian country town. Then came the Second World War and a night that forever changed it and led the town in far from typical directions.

Cowra is situated on the inland slopes of central New South Wales, approximately 300 km west of Sydney. Canowindra (pronounced Ca-noun-dra) is a little over 30 km to the north of Cowra. Both have a similar climate, with chilly winter nights and frequently hot summer days - and usually fine weather (too much so at present, as the area was deep in drought when we visited). The area is agricultural with sheep and cattle grazing, and cropping of various kinds: wheat is the most extensively and traditionally grown, but other crops and activities such as oilseeds, vineyards and olive groves have developed in recent years. All of which sounds fairly typical for many places.

Cowra’s defining moment came in the dark early hours of 5 August 1944, when Japanese Prisoners-of-War broke from the local POW camp and attacked their guards in what was the only land battle fought in Australia during WW2. This was the largest POW escape anywhere in modern history. Hundreds died, atoning for what they considered the disgrace of being captives, as did four Australian servicemen. The subsequent reconciliation with Japan has profoundly influenced the town and it now is an international peace centre.