81st Commemoration of the Broome Air Raid

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The Shire of Broome, in collaboration with a number of community organisations, will host a program of events from Thursday 2nd to Friday 3rd March 2023, marking one of the deadliest wartime attacks on Australian soil.

More Information

The Air Raid on Broome is a unique piece of history stemming from World War II and is the second greatest wartime loss of life on Australian soil to date.

On the morning of 3 March 1942, nine Japanese Zero fighters and a reconnaissance plane swooped down over Broome, killing an estimated 88 people, and destroying 22 Australian, Dutch, American and British flying boats, and aircraft. Many of the victims were refugees, recently arrived on Dutch flying boats from Java.

While we commemorate these tragic events, we also celebrate our vibrant and inclusive communities which welcome people of all nations and respect our diverse heritage that makes us richer.

Many thanks to the number of community organisations that have come together in collaboration to make this event possible, these include:

The Air Raid Working Group
Broome RSL
Broome Historical Society
Broome Museum
NORFORCE
St Mary's College
Broome Primary School
ABC Kimberley
Nyamba Buru Yawuru
Aviair
Air Kimberley
Horizontal Falls Seaplane Adventures
Water Corp

Event Program

Full program here(PDF, 82KB)

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Accommodation

If travelling from outside of Broome, a reminder to book your accommodation early as there are several other drawcard events in Broome over the first weekend in March. This includes Broome Pride 2023, so we encourage you to make a weekend of it and experience all Broome has to offer.

Transport

Free buses will be made available to take assist with travel from the Artwork Tour to the Commemoration, and later to the RSL. Bookings are not required for this service as they will be free to hop and off on the day. 

Dress Code

March can be very warm and humid in Broome with temperatures in the high thirties by early morning. We encourage you to take a ‘Kimberley Casual’ approach to the dress code and dress comfortably for events, especially when they are held outdoors. Don’t forget a hat!

Wreath Laying at the Commemorative Event

All guests are welcome to lay a wreath at the commemoration event. We recommend the following florists. They have a range of wreaths at different price points and can design a wreath with specific colours of ribbon if requested.

Flowers on Saville
flowersonsavillest@bigpond.com
(08) 9192 1170

Broome Florist
enquiries@thebroomeflorist.com.au
(08) 9192 7035

Parking

As the Shire are not closing any roads for the event, there is no allocated parking available. Please keep this in mind when planning transportation. We advise walking, cycling, or using public transport if possible.

The 80th Commemorative Event

In 2022, the Shire of Broome endeavoured to host the 80th Commemoration of the Broome Air Raid. However, all events scheduled to take place were postponed until 2023 due to risks related to COVID-19 and ex-Tropical Cyclone Anika.

Contact

For more information, please contact the Shire of Broome at shire@broome.wa.gov.au or (08) 9191 3456.

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75th Commemoration of Broome Air Raid

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📷 Queen Tide Creative

When

  • Friday, 03 March 2023 | 08:00 AM - 10:00 AM

Location

Bedford Park War Memorial, 1 Anne St, Broome WA 6725, 6725, View Map

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