The Lae War Cemetery, established in 1944, is located adjacent to the Botanical Gardens in the centre of the city of Lae, the capital of Morobe Province, in Papua New Guinea. The cemetery is managed by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
In World War II, Japanese and Commonwealth soldiers fought to hold the strategic areas of Papua New Guinea, and the Morobe Province was the site of several heated campaigns in late 1942–1943; by 1944, the Japanese had been driven off the island. The cemetery holds the remains of over 2,800 soldiers, many of whom died in the Salamaua–Lae campaign, but also those who died in Japanese detention on the Island. As the remains of missing soldiers are recovered, they are interred in the cemetery.
The Lae War Cemetery is well maintained. There are 2808 graves, 2363 of which are Australian, the rest being Indian, New Zealand or British. An Anzac (Australian New Zealand Army Corp) Day dawn service is held here yearly commemorating those who lost their lives during WWII. Pay a visit and read some of the headstones.
Open daily: 7am-4pm
