Category: documents

Child Migrants, documents, Forgotten Australians, memories

Listen to Forgotten Australians and former Child Migrants

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by Adele on 15 November, 2010

In the year since Prime Minister Kevin Rudd delivered the National Apology, the National Library of Australia has begun recording interviews with people who were in institutional and out of home care as children. The interviews are being made available online in consultation with the people who have told their stories.  Preserving the voices of Forgotten Australians and Former Child Migrants will ensure these experiences will be remembered. You can access their interviews here.

articles/lectures, documents, Forgotten Australians, memories

Survey for ACT Careleavers/Forgotten Australians

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By Women’s Centre for Health Matters (guest author) on 4 November, 2010

Women’s Centre for Health Matters is working with the Alliance for Forgotten Australians (AFA), the Women and Prisons Group (WAP)and others individuals from across the ACT to gather information about the current needs and circumstances of ACT women who are Care Leavers/Forgotten Australians, and their access to services in the ACT.

It is now nearly a year since the National Apology was issued on 16 November 2009, on behalf of the Australian Government, by the (then) Prime Minister Kevin Rudd. He delivered an unqualified apology to Forgotten Australians and Child Migrants who suffered abuse or neglect in care. He was supported by the (then) Opposition Leader, Malcolm Turnbull.

The Women’s Centre for Health Matters will be collecting responses from Tuesday 1st November to Tuesday 15th November. The more responses that we receive in this time, the more useful the results will be in helping WCHM to develop policy positions and advocacy strategies to address the unmet needs of these ACT women.

The survey can be accessed here or by telephoning WCHM on (02) 6290 2166 to request a hard copy of the survey by post.

documents, Forgotten Australians, photos

Children’s mass grave in Sydney

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By John Murray (guest author) on 1 November, 2010

Below are John Murray’s photographs taken of a re-interment ceremony held on 1 May 2000. Over 100 children’s bodies were re-interred at the site of the former Randwick Asylum for Destitute Children. The bodies were discovered during the rebuild of the psychiatric ward at Sydney Children’s Hospital. An archaeological survey was able to identify 40 of the bodies.

Randwick Asylum for Destitute Children was opened in 1852. The 1873 royal commission on public charities recommended that large institutions for children be closed down and that children be boarded out. At the time of the commission, the Randwick Asylum housed between 700 and 800 children. However, the Asylum did not begin boarding out children until 1883 and did not close until 1915.

The State Records Authority of New South Wales holds records of the Randwick Asylum for Destitute Children.

And the State Library of New South Wales has the report of the 1995 gravesite excavation.

documents, film, Forgotten Australians

We were Burnie kids

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by Cath on 28 July, 2010

Below we present a silent film produced by Burnside Homes in the 1920s to promote the work of the Homes and to raise funds. The footage shows the Homes’ association with the Presbyterian Church and how some children from poor families in the inner suburbs of Sydney were taken to Burnside Homes.

The recent preservation of this footage was the result of a partnership between UnitingCare Burnside, Parramatta Heritage Centre and Anne Matthews. The film is an hour long.

[2020 note] This 12:46 of film footage was shown in the Inside exhibition.

This film has no audio.
articles/lectures, documents, Forgotten Australians, memories

Steps up and steps out

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by Diane Tronc (guest author) on 11 June, 2010

Diane Tronc was born in 1961 and was a resident, with her five siblings, of Silky Oaks Children’s Home in Manly, Brisbane from 1962 until 1974.

Diane shares her submission to the current Senate Review of Government Compensation Payments.

To Committee Secretary
Senate Legal and Constitutional Committee
P.O. Box 6100
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600 Australia

Re: Review of Government Compensation Payments

Dear Committee Members

My name is Diane Tronc.  I am a Survivor of Abuse whilst in Care and I am a Forgotten Australian.

I wish to put submission into this Inquiry.

Firstly:   This year is the 10th year since the Forde Inquiry.

The last 10 years has been for a lot of Forgotten Australians a compounding and overturning painful journey of repeating our lives over and over and reliving this painful journey through Redress and still suffering today to see some form of positive outcome for all Forgotten Australians.

With services in mainstream congested and waiting lists so long we take our ticket and still stand in line waiting. We’ve walk your line for long enough.  We need ACTION, STRUCTURE, FOUNDATION, and STEPS UP AND STEPS OUT.  Support services more involved with career paths, workforce, TAFE, university.

A lot have such difficulty in filling in forms making the first step up and step out.  We need Mentors working with case workers supporting our people with visits to hospitals, appointment and home visits.

We also need a small bus e.g.: Libraries, our memorial, for events/ outings etc.

And a directory of services directing and referring our people and supporting through the process for their goals to be achieved to a comfortable area in their lives to move on….from start to finish.

Healing Journey when will that start, Family Histories, Reunions, and Bringing us all HOME.

Also like to see Legacy more involved as a lot of fathers and grandfathers/families of Forgotten Australian went to war and so did some Forgotten Australian themselves served..

We call for a Gold Card for all Forgotten Australian we should have Priority Access due to the damage inflicted upon us as innocent children now adults our needs and wants need  to be met.   Health, Dental, Housing, and Education and Training, exempt of fees.

Within our service centre I personally feel we need more steps up and step out and more support.

Foster Care/Adoption  was not part of Redress in Qld nor did it get a State Govt Apology.  We where under the STATE.

I personally would like to see a Royal Commission Inquiry into past practices and services today.

We will fight to our END to see things right for our past and for all our futures ahead.

We have a lot of strong good solid caring, compassionate and committed people amongst us all.  That should be given every opportunity to excel and be given the chance to work with services in a paid position.

A lot of us are Volunteers and put in a lot of hours and time to help our people when services are closed or to help assist within telephone support and  getting to visits, appointments or lend a hand  when needed.  I would like to see more funding given to Volunteers under some form of incentive scheme payment through Centrelink.

As a lot of our people are also on disability this would help in the transition step up 123 to TAFE, university or workforce part time or full time?

Also I have noticed a lot of people needing assistance who are in full time work area.  Some struggle to keep their jobs.  Pushing themselves to the limit all the time.

And not being able to service the services due to their working hours.

Looking for a constructive outcome for all.

And more community projects for our people.

Diane Tronc

art, documents, drawing, Forgotten Australians, memories

A tormented life

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by Warren Porter (guest author) on 28 April, 2010

Warren and his younger brother Graham were placed in their first institution when they were 4 and 2 years old. They endured the next decade and a half in various institutions, training farms and – despite being under age – jail.

In telling their story, Warren includes evidence such as photographs and documents, as well as vivid descriptions and drawings such as the following:

It was around June 1959 when my mate Charlie and I were making plans to p*** off from the Brook but made the mistake of telling this new boy who wanted to come with us about what we were going to do.

To read more of Warren’s story, download the extract from his illustrated book (PDF 1.8mb). The book is now in the National Library of Australia.