Strengthening Balibo Fort
In the Bobonaro District of western Timor Leste, the Harold Mitchell Foundation and the Balibó House Trust are working to restore one of Timor-Leste’s most significant heritage sites, the 18th century Portuguese fort at Balibó.
The restoration of the Balibó Fort will create income, employment and training opportunities for the people of Balibó and will help drive economic activity in the western part of Timor-Leste. Surplus funds generated by the project will support the charitable work of the Trust at the Balibó Community Learning Centre and Balibó Five Kindergarten.
Built in the early-to-mid 1700s, the Balibó Fort occupies a commanding hilltop position with views across the village of Balibó, across the Ombai-Wetar Straits and into Indonesian West Timor. The fort walls, ramparts and cannon will be preserved and the former colonial administrator’s residence inside the fort will house a visitors’ centre and museum celebrating the history, language and culture of Timor-Leste.
Future plans for the project include a café and the construction of sustainable, heritage-influenced accommodation. Harold Mitchell Foundation and Balibó House Trust have been pleased to welcome the support of the Government of Timor-Leste, which has included the fort restoration project in its National Strategic Development Plan 2011-2030.
For more information about the Balibo Fort project, click here
Related Partners & Projects:
Alola Foundation
