Dare WWII Memorial Museum
Museu Memorial de Dare
A small memorial museum on a hill in southern Dili, telling the story of Australian commandos fighting alongside Timorese against Japanese forces in World War II. Its café overlooks the whole city.
After Japanese forces landed on Timor in 1942, small Australian units, including the 2/2nd Independent Company, carried on guerrilla warfare in the Timorese mountains with substantial help from local people, and many Timorese lost their lives as a result. The memorial museum was jointly established by Australia and East Timor, and uses photographs, oral histories and artifacts to tell this story. The café beside it has a terrace overlooking Dili Bay and Atauro Island, where the cool mountain breeze is refreshing. The drive from the city center along mountain roads takes about 30 minutes. The roads are winding, so hiring a car is recommended. Opening hours are not fixed, so check before you go.
Opening hours
About 09:00–17:00 (check on site)
Nearby sights
- Chega! Exhibition Centre (Former Comarca Balide Prison)
- Santa Cruz Cemetery
- Immaculate Conception Cathedral, Dili
- Timorese Resistance Archive & Museum
- Tais Market
- Government Palace, Dili
- Motael Church (Saint Anthony of Padua)
- Dili Waterfront & Harbour Lighthouse