The Bali Bombings on 12 October 2002 account for the largest loss of Australian lives from a single terrorist attack.
On that dreadful day 20 years ago, 88 Australians were among 202 people murdered from more than 20 nations.
Many more were left with wounds, seen and unseen, which they continue to live with today.
As a place of holidaying became Hell, strangers of all nationalities helped care for the wounded and transport them to Indonesian hospitals.
Australians in the AFP, DFAT and the ADF provided support on the ground and from home, working hand-in-hand with their Indonesian counterparts.
Doctors and nurses in Australian hospitals, especially in Darwin and Perth, worked heroically around the clock to treat patients and conduct life-saving procedures.
Those darkest hours forged new collaborations and enduring friendships.
To the families who lost loved ones, and to the survivors of the Bali Bombings:
Most Australians will never be able to comprehend what you have gone through, what you are going through today, and what you will endure for the rest of your lives.
But we are inspired by how you have lived your lives in spite of your suffering, your loss and your heartbreak.
Every day of endurance is a magnificent blow to an odious ideology.
Every year of courage is the confident roar of freedom in defiance of cowardly evil.
And every decade of achievement is a triumph over terrorism.
On this 20th Anniversary of the Bali Bombings, through remembrance we pay our respects to those Australians who tragically lost their lives.
Through commemoration we commit to never forgetting this national tragedy.
And through tribute we renew our resolve to thwart acts of terrorism whatever form they take.
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