The Cowra Voices Audio Archive Project
Original Stories in the Cowra Voices app
About Cowra Voices app:
Cowra Voices is a geolocative storytelling app, launched on 3 August 2019 as part of the 75th anniversary commemorations of the Cowra Breakout.
- The Cowra Voices project is based in the Central West region of NSW, Australia, and began in February 2018. This project’s main aim was to link people and places with a geo-locative app – much like a heritage trail app – exploring Cowra’s unique history of civic peace and reconciliation.
- Cowra Voices’ other aims included facilitating a deeper, more intimate engagement with Cowra’s history through audio/multimedia storytelling. Cowra is the home of the famous Cowra Breakout by Japanese prisoners of war, one of the largest attempts at escaping prison during WWII.
- Cowra Voices app includes stories of the Wiradjuri elders as well as personal histories of people buried at Cowra Japanese War Cemetery, and local narratives of grassroots peace building by members of the local Cowra community.
- The Cowra Voices project also involved students from Tokai University, Sapporo Campus who contributed to the design of the app. Students visited Cowra in February 2018 to learn about Cowra’s unique history, and to immerse themselves in the local community and culture.
- Cowra Voices was a partnership between Arts OutWest, Nikkei Australia, Cowra Council, Cowra Tourism Corporation, and Tokai University with support from ABC Central West NSW and app developer Sazae.
- Cowra Voices has been recognised by three history awards – winner of the Oral History NSW Community History Award 2020, an Honorary Mention in the History Council NSW Awards 2020 and a Highly Commended citation in the National Trust NSW Heritage Awards 2020.
Cowra Voices has 11 locations or stops (see map below). Each location features one or more stories and voices:
About Cowra Voices app
Location 2. Australia’s World Peace Bell
Location 3. Bellevue Hill Lookout/Billy Goat Hill
Location 4. Cowra Japanese Garden and Cultural Centre
Location 6. Cowra POW Campsite
Location 7. Saburo Nagakura Park
Location 8. Entrance to Japanese War Cemetery
Location 9. Cowra Australian War Cemetery
Location 10. Cowra Japanese War Cemetery
Location 11. Indonesian Graves
Location 1. Welcome
Cowra is a country town of about 10,000 people, known for promoting peace and international understanding. Situated on the banks of the Lachlan River, Cowra means rock in Wiradjuri, the language of the traditional custodians of the land.
Audio stories:
1.1. Welcome to Country (Wiradjuri and English) by Albert Murray
Audio story:
1.1. Welcome to Country (Wiradjuri and English) by Albert Murray (Audio: 57 sec; 934 KB)
1.2. Welcome to Cowra by Lawrance Ryan
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- Photo by Mayu Kanamori
Audio story:
1.2. Welcome to Cowra narrated by Lawrance Ryan, featuring Graham Apthorpe, Catherine Bennett, Tony Mooney (Audio: 4 min 17 sec; 4.1 MB)
1.3. The Cowra-Seikei High Schools Student Exchange Story
Audio story:
1.3. The Cowra-Seikei High Schools Student Exchange Story featuring Judi Smith, Jemma Pokoney (Audio: 3 min 20 sec; 3.2 MB)
Location 2. Australia’s World Peace Bell
The Peace Bell is a symbol of hope for world peace. Made from coins of United Nations member countries, the Japan based World Peace Bell Association presented this bell to Cowra in 1992, recognising Cowra’s unique contributions to international understanding.
Audio story:
Cowra’s Peace Bell Story featuring Kelsey Sutor, Bill West, Rod Blume (Audio: 3 min 40 sec; 3.7MB)
Location 3. Bellevue Hill Lookout/Billy Goat Hill
A culturally significant place for the local Wiradjuri people, Bellevue Hill Lookout affords a bird’s eye view of Cowra. Many locals refer to this place as Billy Goat Hill because of the goats that once roamed freely here.
Audio Story:
The Story of Billy Goat Hill, Bellevue Hill featuring Robyn Coffey and Isabel Coe. (Audio: 3 min 17 sec; 3.2MB)
Location 4. Cowra Japanese Garden and Cultural Centre
This 5 hectare garden was designed in 1979 by landscape architect Ken Nakajima. It’s classified as a place of cultural, architectural and historic significance by the National Trust. It has a traditional Edo Cottage, a Tea House and Bonsai House.
Audio stories:
4.1. Cowra Japanese Garden and Cultural Centre Story 1
Audio story:
4.1 Cowra Japanese Garden and Cultural Centre Story 1 featuring Bob Griffiths, Don Kibbler (Audio: 3 min 09 sec; 3MB)
4.2. Cowra Japanese Garden and Cultural Centre Story 2
Audio story:
4.2 Cowra Japanese Garden and Cultural Centre Story 2 featuring Bob Griffiths, Catherine Bennett, Don Kibbler (Audio: 3 min 52 sec; 3.7MB)
Location 5. Sakura Avenue
A 1988 bicentennial project to plant 1988 cherry blossom trees between the war cemeteries, POW Campsite, and Japanese Garden has resulted in about 1000 trees growing between Sakura Avenue and the cemeteries. Each tree is matched with a Cowra child and Japanese sponsor.
Audio story:
The Sakura Avenue Story featuring Kelsey Sutor, Bill West (Audio: 3 min 02 sec; 2.9MB)
Location 6. Cowra POW Campsite
Japanese and Italian POWs, Indonesian political prisoners and their families were here during WWII. In 1944, 1000 Japanese POWs attempted an escape. 234 Japanese and 4 Australian servicemen died. Yet the Breakout became the catalyst for a friendship between Japan and Cowra.
Audio stories:
6.1. Cowra POW Campsite Story 1
Audio story:
6.1 Cowra POW Campsite Story 1 featuring Lawrance Ryan, Gordon Rolls (Audio: 3 min 59 sec; 3.9MB)
6.2. Cowra POW Campsite Story 2
Audio story:
6.2 Cowra POW Campsite Story 2 featuring Tony Mooney, Isabel Coe, Gordon Rolls, Jemma Pokoney, Lawrance Ryan (Audio: 3 min 27 sec; 3.3MB)
Location 7. Saburo Nagakura Park
This picnic park, established in 1989 was a gift to Cowra from Saburo Nagakura’s eponymous foundation. An influential Japanese businessman, Nagakura was impressed with Cowra’s civic peace and reconciliation efforts. This park is a symbol of his friendship with Cowra.
Audio story:
The Saburo Nagakura Park Story featuring Bruce Miller (Audio: 2 min 53 sec; 2.8MB)
Location 8. Entrance to Japanese War Cemetery
Dividing the 2 war cemeteries, this tree lined space was designed by Japanese architect Shigeru Yura to cater to post WWII sensitivities. It now symbolises Cowra’s spirit of reconciliation, and is a tribute to the friendship between Australia and Japan.
Audio story:
Entrance to Japanese War Cemetery featuring Belinda Virgo (Audio: 2 mins 22 sec; 2.3MB)
Location 9. Cowra Australian War Cemetery
Commemorated here are Australian military personnel, including the 4 servicemen who died as a result of the Cowra Breakout. These men are Private Ralph Jones GC, Private Benjamin Gower Hardy GC, Private Charles Henry Shepherd, and Lieutenant Harry Doncaster.
Audio story:
The Story of Cowra Australian War Cemetery, featuring the voices of Chor-Farmer, Rod Hayes, Tony Mooney, Bob Griffiths (Audio: 5 min 59 sec; 5.8MB)
Location 10. Cowra Japanese War Cemetery
The 524 graves of military personnel, POWs involved in the Cowra Breakout, and civilian internees who died in Australia during WWII were consolidated here by the Japanese government in 1964. Some were originally from former Japanese colonies, including Taiwan and Korea.
Audio story:
The Story of Cowra Japanese War Cemetery featuring Belinda Virgo, Tony Mooney, Len Oliver, Graham Apthorpe, Rod Hayes (Audio: 3 min 58 sec; 3.8MB)
10.1. Tadao Minami’s Story (Written by Dr Keiko Tamura)
Audio story
Location 10: Cowra Japanese War Cemetery – 10.1 Who's Buried here – Tadao Minami’s Story (Audio: 3 min 52 sec; 3.7MB)
Transcripts of 10.1 (English/日本語)
10.2. Who’s Buried Here - Masu Kusano’s Story (Written by Dr Yuriko Nagata)
Audio story
Location 10: Cowra Japanese War Cemetery – 10.2 Who’s Buried Here – Masu Kusano’s Story (Audio: 2 min 54 sec; 2.8MB)
Transcripts of 10.2 (English/日本語)
10.3. Who’s Buried Here - Michiaki Wakaomi’s Story (Written by Dr Keiko Tamura)
Audio story
Location 10: Cowra Japanese War Cemetery – 10.3 Who’s Buried Here – Michiaki Wakaomi’s Story (Audio: 3 min 15 sec; 3.1MB)
Transcripts of 10.3 (English/日本語)
10.4. Who’s Buried Here - Liong Tjwan Kang’s Story (Written by Dr Shi-chi Mike Lan)
Location 10: Cowra Japanese War Cemetery – 10.4 Who’s Buried Here – Liong Tjwan Kang’s Story (Audio: 3 min 23 sec; 3.3MB)
Transcripts of 10.4 (English/日本語)
10.5. Who’s Buried Here - Jiro Muramatsu’s Story (Written by Dr Yuriko Nagata)
Audio story
Location 10: Cowra Japanese War Cemetery – 10.5 Who’s Buried Here - Jiro Muramatsu’s Story (Audio: 3 min 14 sec; 3.1MB)
Transcripts of 10.5 (English/日本語)
Location 11. Indonesian Graves
The story of the Indonesians interned in Cowra was mostly unknown until about 1995. The people buried here are political prisoners who rose up against Dutch rule, and also merchant seamen who had staged a strike for better working conditions.
Audio story
The Story of the Indonesian Graves featuring Graham Apthorpe (Audio: 4 min 03 sec; 3.9MB)
The Cowra Voices Audio Archive Project 2023
Cowra Council is the copyright holder of all the audio works in the Cowra Voices Audio Archive. If you would like to reuse or copy any of the materials in this Archive, please contact Cowra Council. Australian copyright law is set out in the Copyright Act 1968 (Commonwealth).