Hundreds of West Australians have gathered to remember the lives lost in the Bali bombings, as a commemorative service at Kings Park marks 20 years since the devastating event.
The terror attack in 2002 claimed the lives of 202 people, 16 of them West Australians.
Two decades on, the impact of the terror attacks continues to ripple through affected families and individuals.
I Gede Sarjana was working as a tour guide when he was injured in the blasts.
"I'm OK but there's a lot of, probably, shrapnel in my back," he said.
"Today is a very hard day for the Australians, Indonesians, and also people around the world."
Friends and loved ones of victims and affected families were invited to lay flowers at the memorial.
Some of those at the service drank Bintang beers to commemorate.
Seven of those who died in the attacks were from the Kingsley Football Club in Perth's north. They were in Bali celebrating their first premiership with an end-of-season trip.
Locals rallied around the club after the devastating event, nurturing a place to grieve and share their trauma.
"My cousin Corey Paltridge was one of the Kingsleys. We're here to honour him and remember," Tash Elkins said.
"Tomorrow will be harder. We'll all remember sitting in my uncle and aunty's lounge room, just waiting for news to figure out what happened.
"Time doesn't make it easier … It just feels like it happened yesterday."
Attacks 'still incredibly raw'
Premier Mark McGowan said West Australians would never forget the senseless act that killed 202 people.
"It's painful to think of the families, the friends, and the communities that were robbed of their loved ones," he said.
Mr McGowan recited the words inscribed on the Bali Memorial at Kings Park, which was designed to frame the sunrise on October 12 each year.
"We take to heart. In the shadow of our sorrow, we find a light. With the dawn comes hope. With the setting sun time to heal," he said.
Some in the crowd at Kings Park were too young to remember the bombings but had lost time with family who died in the blast. Others were survivors bearing scars.
"For many people, this event is still incredibly raw," Indonesia Institute founder Ross Taylor said.
"The 20th anniversary is a very poignant time for families of those [who died]."
Mr Taylor was WA's Commissioner to Indonesia in 2002, and still remembers the immediate fallout of the attack.
"When it first happened … both where I was based at the Australian embassy in Jakarta and throughout the region, there was just confusion," he said.
"It wasn't until several hours later that it started to dawn on diplomats, and the wider community, just how disastrous and how large this very well-orchestrated and coordinated attack was."
Immediate trauma and lasting legacy
WA's proximity to Bali meant many who were injured in the bombings were transported to Perth, where the efforts of locals were instrumental in saving the lives of many.
A total of 28 people were flown to Royal Perth Hospital for treatment.
"Often, these events occur internationally, and they seem an arm's length away," Health Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson said.
"But we actually really dealt with the immediate trauma for so many of those in Western Australia."
The WA Museum Boola Bardip is showcasing an exhibition reflecting on the challenges at Royal Perth Hospital, and the flood of community support at the time.
