About the Balibo House and Trust.

The Balibo House is steeped in the consciousness of all Australians. It was the last refuge of the five Australian based journalists who were murdered by invading Indonesian troops in 1975. It is the house on which Greg Shackleton painted the Australian flag and the word Australia, believing it would protect them from attack.

In October 2002 then Victorian Premier Steve Bracks announced the establishment of a Trust to purchase and refurbish the Balibó Flag House, with a grant of $50,000. This grant was matched by $25,000 each from Australian TV Channels 7 and 9.

Graduates from Multiplex played a major role in the refurbishment of the house; together with the Australian Peacekeeping Force in East Timor and local workers from Balibó.

The Rotary Steel Mill at Baucau, which is retraining former Falintil resistance fighters, assisted in the construction of the roof.

World Vision organised village consultations on the future use of the house, worked with the community to assist with the renovations and helped raise funds for the services and activities to be run by World Vision East Timor following its completion.

The House was officially opened by then Victorian Premier Steve Bracks, Xanana Gusmão, and José Ramos-Horta on 31st. October 2003. This ceremony was performed in the presence of family members of the Balibó Five, overseas dignitaries and 1,500 people from Balibó and surrounding villages.

The House is now a Community Learning Centre, run by the local community. It includes a library, computer classes, sewing machines, carpentry and mechanics workshop and a crèche for 30 children. It also houses a memorial to the Balibó Five and local Balibó martyrs.

The Balibó House Trust is currently raising funds to expand and upgrade the computers, provide new sewing machines and materials, purchase workshop tools install outdoor play equipment and refurbished the crèche.

Balibó House Trust

The Balibó House Trust was established by the Victorian Government in 2002.

Current Board Members of the Trust include : Australia-based Balibó Five family members including Shirley Shackleton, Anne E Stewart, Paul Stewart and John Milkins, Rob Hudson MP Member for Bentleigh, Chief Magistrate of Victoria Ian Gray, Bernard Collaery Former Attorney General ACT, Dr. Damien Kingsbury, Associate Professor International Studies, Deakin University & Convener Friends of Balibó.

Purposes of the Balibo House Trust

1. To redevelop and maintain the Australian Flag House, (now Balibo Community Learning Centre) in Timor Leste.

2. To enter into partnerships to deliver services, programs and activities through the Balibo CLC for the benefit of the people living in the village of Balibo and other villages in the Balibo sub-district.

3. To maintain a permanent memorial to the five journalists killed at Balibo in 1975 along with local Balibo martyrs killed during the period of Indonesian occupation of Timor Leste.

4. To foster awareness of the significance of the Australian Flag house and the events at Balibo in October 1975 to relationships between Australia, Timor Leste and Indonesia.

5. To foster the development of a local Community Committee of Management in Balibo to run and maintain the Balibo CLC.

6. To enter into partnerships with the Governments of Victoria and Timor Leste, the local community, district administration, non government organisations and friendship groups for the above purposes.

7. To raise funds for the above purposes.