Balibó: Fort, Flag House and Balibo Five Memorial

Balibó is a small hill town in Bobonaro municipality, a few kilometres from the Indonesian border, visited for its restored Portuguese fort and the Flag House, where five Australian-based journalists sheltered before they were killed on 16 October 1975. It is a quiet place for an overnight stop: you can sleep inside the fort walls, walk the village with a local guide and look across the border towards West Timor. For the wider region (Maliana, Atabae, Marobo hot springs), see our Bobonaro municipality guide.

Quick answers

Question	Answer
Where is it?	Bobonaro municipality, on the hills above Batugade, near the Indonesian border
Why go?	Balibó Fort, the Flag House (Balibo Five memorial), museums, views over West Timor
How far from Dili?	About 2.5 hours’ drive west, according to the Balibó Fort Hotel; allow more and check road conditions locally
Where to stay?	Balibó Fort Hotel, eight rooms inside the fort
Guided walks?	Balibo Trails, a local guide cooperative, runs village walks, hikes and bike tours
Nearest border post	Batugade (Mota’ain), on the coast below the town
Key date	16 October, anniversary of the Balibo Five killings

Balibó Fort

The fort on the hill above the town is an 18th-century Portuguese fortification; the Balibó House Trust and the official tourism listing describe it as about 300 years old. It later served as a base for the international forces that came to Timor-Leste after 1999.

The Balibó House Trust, an Australian charity, restored the fort, with the first stage completed in late 2013. Inside the walls today:

Balibó Fort Hotel: eight rooms, a licensed restaurant and terraces looking over the walls, run as a social enterprise with the Trust. See our Balibó Fort Hotel listing.
Cultural and heritage centre and museum: opened in March 2015, on the history, languages and cultures of Timor-Leste.
Balibó Fort Veterans’ Museum: opened in 2022, on the links between Timor-Leste and those who served there, from the Second World War to the INTERFET peacekeeping mission.

Income from the fort helps fund the Trust’s community work in Balibó. Full details are on our Balibó House and Balibó Fort page. Opening hours and any museum entry fee are not published: ask at the hotel reception.

The Flag House and the Balibo Five

What happened in 1975

In October 1975, two Australian television crews were in Balibó reporting on Indonesian cross-border military operations. Brian Peters and Malcolm Rennie (British, Channel 9), Greg Shackleton and Tony Stewart (Australian, Channel 7) and Gary Cunningham (New Zealander, Channel 7) became known as the Balibo Five. In the town they painted an Australian flag on the wall of a house, now called the Flag House. They were killed during the Indonesian attack on Balibó in the early morning of 16 October 1975, weeks before the full-scale invasion of December 1975.

In 2007 a New South Wales coroner held an inquest into the death of Brian Peters and found that he was shot and/or stabbed deliberately, “not in the heat of battle”, by members of the Indonesian Special Forces, to keep the journalists from revealing that those forces had taken part in the attack. The coroner said her findings on the other four would be in the same terms. Indonesia has long maintained that the journalists died in crossfire. The Australian Federal Police opened a war crimes investigation in 2009 and ended it in 2014 without charges. A sixth journalist, Roger East, was killed in Dili about seven weeks later while investigating their deaths. For the wider story, see our history of Timor-Leste.

The Flag House today

The Victorian Government set up the Balibó House Trust in October 2002 to buy and restore the house. It reopened on 31 October 2003 as the Balibó Community Learning Centre, opened by Victorian Premier Steve Bracks, Xanana Gusmão and José Ramos-Horta. The building is both a memorial to the journalists and a community centre, with training for local people; the Trust also runs a kindergarten and a dental clinic in the town.

Visit respectfully: it is a working community space, not just a monument.
The 16 October anniversary is marked in Balibó; expect ceremonies and visitors around that date.

Walks and bike trails

Balibo Trails, a cooperative of locally trained guides next to the learning centre, runs:

Balibó village walk (about 75 minutes): history and daily life, including the Flag House.
Gruta Morutau: a walk into the hills past the Stations of the Cross, with views across the border towards Atambua.
Leohitu: a short bike ride to a village with seasonal waterfalls and a fish hatchery.
Balibó to Batugade (13 km): a downhill walk to the coast, best started early.
Mountain bike hire and guided cycle tours.

The official tourism directory lists Balibo Trails on +670 7715 7737; book a few days ahead or through the hotel. More detail in our article on walking and bike trails at Balibó, and trail grades in the hiking guide.

Getting there

From Dili

Balibó is west of Dili along the north coast road to Batugade, then a short climb inland to the town. The Balibó Fort Hotel puts the drive at about two and a half hours; other descriptions give up to three or four hours, so allow extra time and check current road conditions with your hotel or driver. Most visitors come by private car with driver or on a tour; for transport options, see getting around.

Crossing the border at Batugade (Mota’ain)

Batugade (Mota’ain) is the main land crossing between Timor-Leste and Indonesian West Timor, on the coast below Balibó. The Immigration Service lists it as an official border post, but government travel advice differs on whether you can get a visa on arrival there. If you are entering overland, get your visa in advance at a Timor-Leste embassy or consulate (Denpasar or Kupang) or confirm with the Immigration Service first, and carry US$30 in cash. Full details: Visa & Immigration and how to get to Timor-Leste.

Practical tips

Stay overnight: the fort is the main place to sleep; book ahead, especially around 16 October.
Money: bring US dollar cash; card payments and ATMs should not be relied on outside Dili. See money and currency.
Season: the dry season (roughly May to November) is best for walking and cycling. See weather and seasons.
Respect: dress modestly at the Flag House, churches and sacred sites, and ask before photographing people.

Frequently asked questions

Is Balibó worth visiting?

Yes, if you are interested in history: the Flag House and the fort museums tell the story of 1975 and of Timor-Leste’s road to independence, and the fort hotel makes an easy overnight stop on the way to or from the Indonesian border.

Can you stay inside Balibó Fort?

Yes. The Balibó Fort Hotel has eight rooms within the fort walls, plus a restaurant. Book through baliboforthotel.com or see our hotel listing.

Who were the Balibo Five?

Brian Peters, Malcolm Rennie, Greg Shackleton, Tony Stewart and Gary Cunningham, Australian-based journalists working for Channels 7 and 9, killed in Balibó on 16 October 1975. A 2007 NSW coronial inquest found they were killed deliberately by Indonesian Special Forces.

How long does it take to get from Dili to Balibó?

About two and a half hours by car according to the Balibó Fort Hotel, but road conditions vary, so allow more time and check locally before you set off.

Can I cross into Indonesia from Balibó?

The Batugade (Mota’ain) border post is on the coast just below the town. Check visa requirements for both countries before you travel; see our Visa & Immigration guide.