At the November meeting, members of the Cowra Probus Club welcomed guest speaker and local historian Lawrance Ryan, who gave a fascinating presentation on Cowra’s War 1939–1945, a photographic exhibition curated by Lawrance and fellow historian Graham Apthorpe for the Cowra Regional Art Gallery earlier this year.

Presented jointly by the Cowra Breakout Association and the Gallery to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, the exhibition explored Cowra’s vital wartime role through more than 100 images and objects.

These ranged from the well-known story of the Cowra Breakout to the broader picture of the town’s military and industrial contribution.

Highlights included rare photographs of the Cowra Military Training Camp, which trained over 70,000 troops; the Cowra Small Arms Factory; the Edgells Cannery supplying food for Allied forces; and Australia’s first Power Alcohol Distillery, which produced wartime fuel.

The exhibition also featured images from the International Red Cross documenting life inside the Cowra POW Camp.

The presentation, delivered on 4 November 2025, offered a vivid reminder that Cowra’s wartime history extends far beyond the Breakout, revealing a community that played a major part in Australia’s broader war effort.