Bali bombings service held at Kings Park in Perth to honour victims on 20th anniversary of attacks

Hundreds of West Australians have gathered to remember the lives lost in the Bali bombings, as a commemorative service at Kings Park marks 20 years since the devastating event.

Key points:

The terror attack in 2002 claimed the lives of 202 people, 16 of them West Australians.

“For many people, this event is still incredibly raw,” Indonesia Institute founder Ross Taylor said.

“The 20th anniversary is a very poignant time for families of those [who died].”

Some at the Bali bombings service in Perth drank Bintang beers to commemorate.(ABC News: Cason Ho) The crowd marked the occasion at the Kings Park service as the sun rose over Perth.(ABC News: Cason Ho)

Mr Taylor was WA’s Commissioner to Indonesia in 2002, and still remembers the immediate fallout of the attack.

“When it first happened … both where I was based at the Australian embassy in Jakarta and throughout the region, there was just confusion,” he said.

“It wasn’t until several hours later that it started to dawn on diplomats, and the wider community, just how disastrous and how large this very well-orchestrated and coordinated attack was.”

Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Archive footage shows the destruction caused by the bombing in Bali in 2002. ‘Time doesn’t make it easier’

Two decades on, the impact of the terror attacks continues to ripple through affected families and individuals.

I Gede Sarjana was injured by one of the blasts while working as a tour guide.

I Gede Sarjana was among those who attended the Kings Park service.(ABC News: Cason Ho)

“I’m OK but there’s a lot of, probably, shrapnel in my back,” he said.

“Today is a very hard day for the Australians, Indonesians, and also people around the world.”

Seven of those who died in the attacks were from the Kingsley Football Club, in Perth’s northern suburbs. They were in Bali celebrating their first premiership with an end-of-season trip.

Tash Elkins’s cousin was one of the Kingsley Football Club players killed in the bombings.(ABC News: Cason Ho)

Locals rallied around the club after the devastating event, nurturing a place to grieve and share their trauma.

“My cousin Corey Paltridge was one of the Kingsleys. We’re here to honour him and remember,” Tash Elkins said.

“Tomorrow will be harder. We’ll all remember sitting in my uncle and aunty’s lounge room, just waiting for news to figure out what happened.

“Time doesn’t make it easier … It just feels like it happened yesterday.”

Immediate trauma and lasting legacy

WA’s proximity to Bali meant many who were injured in the bombings were transported to Perth, where the efforts of locals were instrumental in saving the lives of many.

A total of 28 people were flown to Royal Perth Hospital for treatment.

The Bali Memorial Association hosted the service at Kings Park to mark the 20th anniversary.(ABC News: Cason Ho)

“Often, these events occur internationally, and they seem an arm’s length away,” Health Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson said.

“But we actually really dealt with the immediate trauma for so many of those in Western Australia.”

The WA Museum Boola Bardip is showcasing an exhibition reflecting on the challenges at Royal Perth Hospital, and the flood of community support at the time.

An image featured as part of the Bali bombing exhibit at WA Museum Boola Bardip.(ABC News: Keane Bourke)

Posted 1h ago1 hours agoTue 11 Oct 2022 at 10:23pm, updated 20m ago20 minutes agoTue 11 Oct 2022 at 11:38pm