Kundasang War Memorial

Kundasang War Memorial is a World War II memorial located in Kundasang village in Ranau District, Sabah, Malaysia, about 90 kilometres from Kota Kinabalu. Established in 1962, it commemorates more than 2,400 Australian and British prisoners of war who died during the Sandakan Death Marches. Set on a hillside with views of Mount Kinabalu, the memorial comprises four interlinked gardens, an exhibition hall and remembrance walls, serving as a place of reflection and historical education.

Visitors can expect a hillside memorial complex with four distinct gardens - Australian Garden, English Garden, Borneo Garden and Contemplation Garden - connected by pathways and steps. The site includes remembrance walls with names, an exhibition hall with photographs and artefacts about the Sandakan Death Marches, landscaped gardens with flowers and pines, and viewpoints overlooking the Kundasang valley and Mount Kinabalu on clear days. The atmosphere is quiet and reflective, designed for remembrance and learning.

Established in 1962, the memorial commemorates 2,428 Australian and British prisoners of war who died at Sandakan, during the Sandakan Death Marches to Ranau, and at Ranau during World War II. Only six Australians survived. It was initiated by local residents and later developed with support from Australian authorities to honour those who perished.

The memorial serves as a place of remembrance and reconciliation, featuring gardens designed to reflect the homelands of those commemorated. It is an important site for remembrance services, particularly for Australian and British visitors, and for educating visitors about Sabah's wartime history.