On 24 August 1945, just days after the end of the Second World War, Melbourne hosted a massive Victory in the Pacific parade. Tens of thousands of service personnel marched through the city in celebration, cheered on by vast crowds lining Swanston Street and Flinders Street.
Among the international contingents was a group of soldiers from the Netherlands East Indies Army (KNIL). Having regrouped in Australia after the fall of the Netherlands East Indies, these troops played an important role in supporting the Allied campaign in the Pacific. Their presence in the parade symbolised both their wartime service and the close Dutch–Australian wartime connection.
The Australian War Memorial preserves photographs of this historic day. Surviving film footage of the event also provides a vivid record of Melbourne’s streets filled with Allied flags, music, and the jubilation of peace.
The participation of the KNIL in Melbourne’s victory celebrations is a reminder that the Netherlands and Australia shared not only in the burdens of war but also in its relief and hope at its end.
See also: Film footage of the Victory Parade, Melbourne 1945, Australian War Memorial
