Kundasang War Memorial

A must-visit in Kundasang is the Kundasang War Memorial which was established in 1962, this was one of the first memorial to honour the brave Australian and British Prisoners of War who perished in Sandakan during the notorious death marches to Ranau during World War II. This memorial garden is dedicated to the memory of the 1,800 Australians and 600 British servicemen who perished in the P.O.W camps in Sandakan and they were forced to march from Sandakan to Ranau. The memorial also honours the people of North Borneo who risked their lives to help the POWs. They were forced to march by the Japanese Army somewhat 260+ kilometers through the jungle of Borneo.

Major G. S. Carter, D.S.O. (Toby Carter) a New Zealander employed with Shell Oil Co. (Borneo) initiated the building of the Memorial in 1962, together with the launching of Kinabalu Park; to commemorate the fallen Australian and British prisoners at the Sandakan POW Camp. The fort-like Memorial was designed by J.C. Robinson, a local architect.

Kundasang Was Memorial is an hour drive away from Kota Kinabalu town. You will arrive at this town called Ranau where the famous Kundasang War Memorial Park is located. The Kundasang War Memorial Park is situated at the foot of Mount Kinabalu and is very close to Kundasang food and vegetable market. The temperature here is slightly lower than other parts of Sabah making it an optimum spot for vegetations. The temperature here is cold, similar to the likes of Ba’kelalan.

With its towering pine trees and blooming roses, the Memorial is made up of four beautiful gardens – the Australian Garden, the English Garden, the Borneo Garden and the Contemplation Garden and Pool – to represent the different nationalities, and a walk in the garden is resonant to that of a stroll in a quaint English garden. The scent of roses lingers in the air and the serene atmosphere makes Kundasang War Memorial an ideal place to contemplate and remember the heroes of the war. Visitors can also opt to view a brief video on the history of the Sandakan Death March.

This place would probably take you about 30-40 minutes to cover as they are surrounded by a few sections. You just need to pay a small entrance fee which is being used to  maintain Kundasang War Memorial for generations to come.