11 thoughts on “Photos of Clontarf Boys Town”

  2. I was at clontarf from 1966 to 1969 as a “DAY BOY” and never had any of the problems as some of the other boys had. I had not heard of what was going on in the school until long after I had left there. Three of my brothers also went to Clontarf.

  3. The Clontarf Old Boys Heritage Committee welcomes contact, photographs and stories for submission for the Heritage Trail. Contact the Clontarf Management Office or cobhc.project@live.com for further information

  4. I rememebr you at Clontarf in the 1950’s. We were in several classes together at at times in the same dormitory
    I would like to make contact with you. GG

  5. Godfrey if you want to make contact with me get my phone number of Jay Auther the National Museum. I dont want to give it to you over the line for privance reasons Looking forward hearing from you Michael.

  6. John Pires The ninety fifties were very different from the ninety sixties. For one thing we were orphans you were a boader if however if you had boarded at Bindoon you would have come into contact with the Christant brother who ran Clontarf in our time. This brother was runing Bindoon in the ninety sixties had a well known reputation as a floger of children. In one single day at Bindoon he floged two boarders to the point of them needing to be hospitalise. how lucky you were that you did not end up under him you would certainly learnt what fear was all about. Michael D

  7. Hi Colin,

    I knew you at Clontarf from 1953 to the late 50’s
    We are in a photograph together taken in the woodwork room in 1957?
    We were also in the same dorm in the late 50,s

    I came across your name in a book I bought many years ago and that started my search for my my past.

    Regards Godfrey

  8. I grew up in Collie WA in the fifties and early 60’s. We were a modest income working class family, my parents invited Eddie Davis to share Christmas with us (twice I think).
    I am not sure if he enjoyed that time or not but as a child myself I was in awe of the fact that both his parents died in the Blitz. Since seeing ‘Oranges and Roses’ I now have some doubts about the facts? Over the years I have often thought of Eddie, the last time I saw him was in the Clontarf band marching around the Bunbury school sports- he winked at me.
    Would really like to know how he is?
    regards janet

  9. Jannet Eddy Davies came out from England with me on the Moldga on the tenth of july 1953. We spent our first years in the same institution in England before coming out to Australia. Eddy was going to be adopted out to a childless couple before leaving and been sent out to Australia. I knew the couple myself before i was sent out here. They the Youngers had got permission to adopt Edward and when they came to pick him up he was gone. I know this to be true because i have been in contact with the couple in recent times. We have shared a few letters and she wanted to know all about Edward. Mrs Younger managed to find Edward in Clontarf Boys Town after a long search, i know this to be true because he showed me the letter. Edward became upset after he red the letter and for his troubles he was draged on to the stage by the floger and humiliated in front of the assembly and then floged. The Christian Brother ran Clontarf between 1953 and 1958 was well known basher. Jannet Edward has spent most of his working life in Perth But has allso managed to accumilate a lot of friends in the bush. The nuns used to tell us about the bombing and how we were moved to the country. In one bombing raid they told us they lost some of the children, and others were injured. I was at this time with my mother and my aunts and have a clear memory of one of these raids, and seeing parents racing in to grab their children. My mother was not there to grab me, and i was left standing there on my own allmost in the centre of the oval. The air carft came straight at me i had no fear as i was too young to understand what was going on. The Aircarf was on my right and flew over and came back at me and went over me and some trees before i heard its guns going of. Ihave never forgoten this memory and learned what fear was all about. Just after the war i was placed at Nazareth House Sherfield England by my mother. The shock of not seeing her would set in when i realised my mother was not coming back. It was here that i met Edward and many others, most of who would be transported out to Australia. Most have been removed without their perants permission. The hard roard for us started for us in England with the abuses in these homes and finished here in Australia. Thankyou Jannet for making contact Michael O’ Donoghue,

  10. Time is runing out for us to write of our experiences in the homes. I have to ask why nobody from the hell hole of Bindoon boys town has not conterbuted to this webpage. Bindoon was in its day was nothing more than a slave camp witch had no pears. This was the insitution that was run by the tyrant Brother Francis Paul Keenie. The Bindoon boys were the first to come out decades ago to expose the scandals of the insitutions run by the Christains Brothers, followed closely by Clontraf Castledare and Tarden boys homes. Bindoon was nother more than a slave camp run by the Brothers. With all the stories i have red on this web page i have seen nothing to compare with Bindoon. some doo come close the experiences of Hay and Para girls come close and are just as bad. Michael. O ‘ Donoghue.

  11. Good observation Michael,
    Historical film footage of child slave labour at Bindoon (evidence!) is featured in the exhibition “Inside: Life in Children’s Homes and Institutions” which is open 16 November 2011 until 26 February 2012 at the National Museum of Australia, Canberra.

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