‘I am one of the forgotten Australians and I deserve redress’

Roughly 500,000 adults in Australia today identify with the terms ‘forgotten Australian’ or child migrant.

Most people know about the Stolen Generation because there has been much publicity in the past. However, when one speaks about the Forgotten Australians (FAs) or Child Migrants (CMs) the response is more likely to be “who are they?”. You might have a neighbour, a friend, a relative … You may even identify with this terminology yourself.

When people ask me who were the Forgotten Australians, rather than going into detail (which might cause a trigger to bad memories) I ask, “Do you know of the Stolen Generation”? Most reply affirmatively. I invite whoever is asking to think of white Australian children who were taken from their parents or surrendered by families to the welfare system believing they were making a positive decision for the best interests of their child/ren.

Children from the United Kingdom and Malta were loaded onto boats and bought to Australia for protection. In many instances the families did not even know the children had been deported. Many of the children were told after arrival that their parents were dead.

These children were placed in homes throughout Australia, some run by state or territory governments, while many others were sent to places run by churches or other institutions or private boarding houses. The legislation that governed their care was the Welfare Act 1937.

The United Kingdom government trusted that the Australian government would look after children from the UK. Little did anyone know that these, along with Australian children, were to be subjected to the most atrocious abuse, physically, sexually and psychologically. Children as young as four years old were working either peeling vegetables, cleaning shoes, scrubbing floors and far more horrific things I cannot discuss. Children who were subjected to torture from the staff who had been paid to protect them.

As an independent advocate and one representing the rights of these disadvantaged groups, it has been revealed much has been covered up in the past.

Governments have taken too long to recognise the plight of abuse that has fallen on deaf ears. Police returned children to foster homes and institutions after they ran away not believing they were being abused. They were then subjected to abuse again. This happened time and time again by church, government institutions and by private organisations entrusted with the care of these little children. When they were moved from place to place they had to leave their own toys behind, forget and move on. Having lost brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, grandparents and other relatives these children were not kept together but spread like the winds of the earth.

Now adults, these people usually keep to themselves, have few friends, have mental health and other medical problems brought on at an earlier age due to their lifestyle. They suffer from significant mental health conditions, alcohol and/or drug abuse to try and hide the pain that has taunted them all their lives. Their lives are triggered by what some may seem as insignificant – a door slamming (because they were locked for hours in a cupboard), a child cuddling a toy (because they never had one) – and they have been told their lifespan will be about 10 years less than the average Australian due to health problems. The government has recognised this and they have been recognised in the Aged Care Act as “special needs”.

This group of people is often referred to as ‘survivors’. However, many did not survive, either taking their own life or dying in care.

On November 16, 2009, the then-Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd, on behalf of all politicians and the Commonwealth, apologised for the harsh treatment and ongoing trauma of these survivors. They experienced separation, abandonment and loss of families; deception as they were lied to constantly, being told their parents were dead. They suffered neglect and exploitation of their childhood innocence. They sustained brutality, sexual assault and were denied health care and dental hygiene.

Often told they would amount to nothing, they were denied an education and an opportunity to learn. Their names were often changed to suit the family they lived with so it was not unusual that a child could grow up having been known by several names. They were subjected to the testing of drugs as many drugs were tried on these children before the drug was introduced into the community.

The consequences of their lifestyle and the long-term impacts for FAs and CMs are significantly negative and destructive. They lack trust in relationships and security, have little social skills, continually go over the past, they may even harm themselves. They usually have difficulty forming a loving relationship because they were never taught how to love. Imagine, never feeling loved, never being told you are handsome or pretty, clever, bright, smart, missed, or special.

As an independent advocate, I have rarely heard wonderful loving stories.

The royal commission into sexual abuse was established to hear the stories of survivors, and the commission asked ‘how can we fix the system?’ Collectively, many new strategies along with policies and procedures have been implemented for the protection of children in care today. This involvement often bought back deep emotional memories for these adults.

There is also expected to be Commonwealth legislation referring to ‘redress’. This is a term to try and put right the wrongs of the past and these survivors will be compensated in an attempt to make up for out of pocket expenses as a result of counselling, medication and psychiatrists, and to provide ongoing mental health support in their aged care. It is designed so that relevant organisations take responsibility for the sexual abuse that occurred while these children were in their care. The government has not accepted to date that redress should be available to children who were physically or psychologically abused.

I felt the need to write about this because these survivors are now aged in their late 50s and 60s, just like you. I am also one of them.

If you know of anyone that identifies with this situation and was in care as a child or was a child migrant, there are specific measures and assistance not advertised. I am happy if you make contact with me. Many adults are unaware of the services specific to survivor groups.

Did you know of the Forgotten Australians and Child Migrants?

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