World War II 75th anniversary: Wollongong celebrated, strangers danced together in the street

Ben Langford
August 21 2020 - 2:00pm
ALL SMILES: Port Kembla celebrates the end of the war, by dancing through the streets. Picture from the collections of the Wollongong City Libraries and the Illawarra Historical Society.
ALL SMILES: Port Kembla celebrates the end of the war, by dancing through the streets. Picture from the collections of the Wollongong City Libraries and the Illawarra Historical Society.

Strangers dancing with each other from Wollongong to Port Kembla, streets wild with jubilation, the threat of war finally lifted - it was an outpouring of physical and emotional joy on the day the Japanese surrender meant World War II, which took more than 39,000 Australian lives, was finally over.

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Ben Langford

Ben Langford

Journalist

Senior journalist writing on the environment. Opinion columnist, independent. We rely on your news tips so please, don't be shy to let us know what's going on.

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