About Us

2026 marks the 30th anniversary of the opening of the first stage of the Walkway in October 1996. Since then, the Walkway has expanded and become a ‘living memorial’ with a focus on education and commemoration.

To celebrate this anniversary, we held three special events. Each event highlighted the versatility of the Walkway’s facilities as a community hub, whilst also showcasing the Walkway’s important role in commemorating our proud military history.

See below for some historical photos of the Walkway’s construction.

Thank you to all those who attended our first special community event to celebrate the Walkway’s 30th anniversary!

We wish to extend our thanks to our special partners for the day, the Five Dock RSL Orchid Society and the Royal Horticultural Society of NSW, whose enthusiastic members created colourful and striking orchid and bromeliad displays, on the deck of, and inside, the Ralph Honner Education Centre. Members of both groups provided well-attended talks with tips and lessons on how to propagate these beautiful plants, and we thank them for their passion and willingness to share their knowledge.

Meantime, while the weather was grey and cold, our three morning tea sessions attracted many, who were treated with delicious home-made treats, with tea and coffee served on elegant fine china … a blast from the past! At each session, Ms Alice Kang OM, KTMW Board Director provided those in attendance with a short history of the Walkway, and outlined its significance plus details of future events and plans.

Many of those who attended also took the opportunity to  take a short tour of the Memorial Centrepiece with our Volunteer Guides, learning of the significance of the iconic sandblasted images that make up the Centrepiece.

While we thank our partners on the day, we would also like to pay special thanks to our volunteers who assisted in the lead up to, and on the day itself. As Ms Kang noted, the Walkway’s success over the years can be attributed to our small group of dedicated volunteers.

The second event for our 30th anniversary was an Art Exhibition on Saturday and Sunday, 12-13 September.

The brilliant weather saw a steady stream of visitors viewing the art exhibition, presented in collaboration with our generous partners: the Drummoyne Art Society, City of Canada Bay Council and RSL NSW.

We welcomed many newcomers to the Walkway, who viewed a diverse collection of artworks and free art demonstrations.

On Saturday, awards were presented to school students who submitted their works. First prize was awarded to Genessa Mieli (Rosebank College), second prize to Georgia Saab (Enfield PS) and third prize to Stella Mullins (Bronte PS). Congratulations to our winners!

On both days, those attending enjoyed a sausage sizzle, proudly supported by Five Dock Rotary.

Thanks to all our visitors, and special thanks to Drummoyne Art Society, Five Dock Rotary members and our Volunteers who assisted on both days.

The final of our special events was for military history fans: Movie Night at the Walkway, featuring a public screening of the 2006 film ‘Kokoda’.

During the afternoon and evening visitors enjoyed two passionate and very personal talks.

Robyn Kienzle presented ‘On the Trail of an Extraordinary Man: Captain Bert Kienzle, The Architect of Kokoda’, sharing insights from her books Architect of Kokoda, and Kokoda. More Than Just a Track telling the story of Bert Kienzle through a deeply personal and historical lens. Soc Kienzle was gracious in displaying many special items, including the original Australian flag raised on 3 November 1942, plus a wealth of other items from his family’s collection.

Dr Jan McLeod spoke on ‘Long Shadows: Revisiting Private Nick Kennedy’s Diary of the Kokoda Campaign‘, based on her Kokoda-related writing and research in her two books Shadows on the Track and All the Broken Soldiers. Jan’s talk re-examined her great uncle’s personal story of his wartime service in the Middle East and New Guinea, highlighting the vital role medical non-combatants in played during the war, yet it came at a high price. Jan too displayed a collection of items related to Nick’s service.

Following these talks, many stayed to watch ‘Kokoda’. Despite the threat of thunderstorms, viewers enjoyed a balmy night under cover watching the movie. Many had not seen ‘Kokoda’ previously, and believed it to reflect a realistic yet tragic representation of the depredation that was the Kokoda campaign.