Badung Regency Government secures land of Sari Club in Kuta to honour Australian victims of Bali bombings

A peace park dedicated to those lost in the 2002 Bali bombings and 2005 terror attacks will be built on the site of the former Sari Club. The Badung Regency Government announced this week it had purchased the 1500 square metre area of land where the former Sari Club stood in Kuta before the terrorist attack on October 12, 2002, that killed 202 people, including 88 Australians. It follows a 20-year campaign by the Bali Memorial Association to have one of the worst acts of terrorism worldwide acknowledged. “We’re excited by this purchase, which is the culmination of decades of work by our association to keep the site earmarked for such a development,” association spokesman Keith Pearce said. A delegation from the association went to Bali in March last year to meet with Badung Regency representatives to discuss the project. Support for the Bali Peace Park Museum has been strengthened by the Kingsley Football Club, which lost seven players in the 2002 bombings. President Steven Roberts said the club was “dedicated to an ongoing education piece for our younger members” at a memorial service commemorating the bombings last year. “We carry them with us always and will continue to do so forever,” he said at the time. Mr Pearce said the association welcomed plans for the museum as both a place for reflection and a symbol of peace. Detailed design of the peace park is expected later this year, with construction to begin in 2026. “We expect a formal announcement of the Regency’s intended plan for the development to be made after the induction of the newly elected Baputi (Regent), Adi Aranda, on February 6,” Mr Pearce said. Head of the Badung Regency culture office Gede Eka Sudarwitha confirmed the Regency Government completed the purchase of the former Sari Club site in December 2024, according to reports from The Bali Sun. “The Bali Memorial Association looks forward to working with the Regency and other authorities to ensure an appropriate development that tells the story of those that were lost respectfully and points to the need to combat terrorism to create a peaceful future,” Mr Pearce said.