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The Hon. Warren Snowdon MP
Minister for Defence Science and Personnel

29 April 2008
Minister visits Dare War Memorial

The Dare war memorial was built by members of the 2nd/2nd Independent Company in 1969.

Members of the Company, plus remnants of the Tasmanian 2nd/40th Battalion, and reinforced later by the 2nd/4th Independent Company, served as a guerilla force against approximately 20,000 Japanese during 1941-43.

They were assisted greatly by their Timorese bearers, known as Creados.

The memorial at Dare was built as a gift to the Timorese people by the Australian veterans.

Recently, the memorial was refurbished with funding from the Department of Veterans' Affairs under a proposal by Kirsty Sword Gusmao - wife of Timor Leste Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao.

Operation Astute is the Australian Government's response to a request from the Government of Timor-Leste to assist in restoring peace to their country.

The Australian Defence Force (ADF) has deployed to Timor-Leste with a mission to assist the Government and the United Nations to bring stability, security and confidence to the Timorese to allow them to resolve their differences democratically and peacefully.

There are approximately 1000 ADF personnel currently serving in Timor-Leste. This force will remain in Timor-Leste continuing to provide a robust response capability to support the Government of Timor-Leste and the United Nations Police force.

Police from Australia and 24 other nations throughout the world provide security in Dili. The ADF provides support to these police operations as required.

The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) is working alongside the ADF to assist with this mission.
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The Hon. Warren Snowdon MP, Minister for Defence Science and Personnel, receives a traditional tais from a Timorese girl at the Dare war memorial located in the hills above Dili in Timor-Leste.

(Date taken: 25 April 2008)
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Wife of Timor Leste Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao, Mrs Kirsty Sword Gusmao, shows a photo to two WWII veterans, Timorese bearer (creados) Rufino Alvez and Australian soldier, Paddy Keneally, during an ANZAC Day ceremony at the Dare war memorial in the hills overlooking Dili.

(Date taken: 25 April 2008)
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The Hon. Warren Snowdon MP, Minister for Defence Science and Personnel, enters the Dare war memorial with the stairs lined with local children, dressed in traditional Timorese tais.

(Date taken: 25 April 2008)
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The Hon. Warren Snowdon MP, Minister for Defence Science and Personnel, sprinkes flower petals over the Dare war memorial on ANZAC Day, in Timor-Leste.

(Date taken: 25 April 2008)
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(L-R) Major Mick Stone speaks with Rufino Alvez Corriea, the last Timorese WWII veteran, as The Hon. Warren Snowdon MP Minister for Defence Science and Personnel, speaks with Paddy Keneally, one of the last members of the Sparrow Force who fought in Timor during WWII.

(Date taken: 25 April 2008)
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