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This website uses words, photos and objects from people who spent time growing up in children’s homes, orphanages and other ‘care’ institutions.

These pages feature personal contributions to the National Museum of Australia’s Inside exhibition. They tell only a small part of each person’s story.

Maree Giles

Exhibition graphic panel that reads: 'Menstruation was monitored and the pads limited, with girls obliged to show officers soiled pads before being issued with clean ones', attributed to 'Maree Giles, Parramatta Girls Home, Parramatta, New South Wales, 1960s'. - click to view larger image

Exhibition graphic panel that reads: 'Australia has a powerful and long history of locking up anyone inconvenient ... it is something we need to be aware of', attributed to 'Maree Giles, 2011, Parramatta Girls Home, 1960s'. - click to view larger image

Godfrey Gilmour

Exhibition graphic panel that reads: 'Some time in 1952 Father Cyril Stinson came to the school in Malta from Western Australia to recruit boys to migrate to Australia … I was told how wonderful Australia was, and the wonderful school we would be going to’, attributed to 'Godfrey Gilmore, 2011'. - click to view larger image

Exhibition graphic panel that reads: 'When I arrived at Clontarf, I immediately felt that this was a dark place ... it felt as though I had landed like on the dark side of the moon', attributed to 'Godfrey Gilmour, Clontarf Boys Home, Waterford, Western Australia, 1950s'. - click to view larger image

Frank Golding

Exhibition graphic panel that reads: 'There was no-one ... to cuddle, to read us bedtime stories. No one gave us an affectionate

Exhibition graphic panel that reads: 'Running away was almost part of the culture of the institution. Regarded as the worst offence in the Orphanage, runaways were given the worst form of punishment', attributed to 'Frank Golding, Ballarat Orphanage, Ballarat, Victoria, 1950s'. - click to view larger image

Exhibition graphic panel of black handwriting on beige background reads 'The boy from Ballarat Orphanage navigated the streets of London wide-eyed and knew how Magellan felt when he reached the Pacific', attribued to 'Frank Golding, Ballarat Orphanage, Ballarat, Victoria, 1950s'. A photograph on the right shows a small red diamond printed with a large black 'E' at the centre and 'PARLIAMENT SQUARE' at the top. It hangs from a piece of red wool and gold safety pin. - click to view larger image

Garry Harrison

Exhibition graphic panel that reads: 'We were in our own war zone'. - click to view larger image

Photograph of a timber frame with four badges mounted on a soft background. An Aboriginal flag in the shape of Australia is at left, the top badge is cirucular and yellow and printed with the words 'Justice and Redress for ALL Australian Care Leavers'. A blue printed rectangular badge below reads 'FORGOTTEN / 500,000 / ABUSED & NEGLECTED / AUSTRALIANS'. A circular gold badge at right is embossed with a wattle emblem. - click to view larger image

Garry Harrison portrait. - click to view larger image

Brian Hart

Bryan Hartas

Polaroid photograph showing a man standing and holding a wooden bow in his left hand and two arrows in his right. Typewritten text below reads 'Bryan Hartas with his homemade bow and arrow, 2011'. 'Courtesy Jo Bennett' is written along the left side. - click to view larger image

Colour photograph on a black backdrop showing a curved timber bow and two timber arrows. The bow's string is made of copper wire. - click to view larger image

Colour photograph of three people at a function. - click to view larger image

Leanne Hawkins

Exhibition graphic panel that reads: 'I am passionate about getting the message out there because people don't know ... I launched my recording ‘In Memory of Forgotten Australians’, dedicated to my mother who was placed in an orphanage as a small child, and my little sister, Annissa, who died in care at the age of three', attributed to 'Leanne Hawkins, 2011'. - click to view larger image

A woman with long flowing red hair is holding a microphone while looking directly at the camera. - click to view larger image

Rupert Hewison

Copy of a formal letter from 'A Richmond /THE FAIRBRIDGE SOCIETY OF TASMANIA / FAIRBRIDGE HOUSE

Copy of a typed letter to 'Mr Richmond, c/o Police Department, Cameron Street, Launceston, Tasmania' outling the writer's 'terrible shock' at the news of only being able to see her son once a month, after being told she should be able to see him once a week. - click to view larger image

Valda Hogan

Exhibition graphic panel that reads: 'I learned to read and write when I was nearly 50 ... After I could read and write I spent years finding my brothers', attributed to 'Valda Hogan, 2004'. - click to view larger image

Two sheets of white notepaper, side by side, covered with handwriting in blue pen. 'Rex, Canberra Rex Hotel, 150 Northbourne Avenue Braddon ACT' is printed at the top of the left sheet. Inscriptions on the left read: 'Novermber 2009 / was a very / HAPPY Time / foR me / VALDA ANN / (Newman) / Now is / Hogan. (iN very) BAd Care) / So much WHaT THE SO / (caLL) nuns and (so) CALL Good / old (ST) John OF (God) Let us DOWN / foR years Has Little KiDS. I was / PUT iN Hospital bec OF THem ALL / (So THaT) WHY I Send you ALL / (THiS) TO SHow you ALL / it (HAS) TAKeing SO Long fOR THis / (ALL) TO come (OUT) Bec OF / John H Jeffk. + [G] Newman + me / so calL [CE] PelL to / Keep it OuT oF OuR / Courts FOR (years). and THis / is WHY. Was Newman, VALDA Hogan)'. The reverse side partially reads 'I am give you THe / (times) I was / iN and OuT / of THe DDDD / (Homes) RuN By / Some very / BAd Nu[m]s / FOR years'. The right reads: 'TO COME'. - click to view larger image

A yellow envelope with blue handwritten text that reads 'C/O ALL / SO CALL ST John of God BrotHers / BRoHers are / 1 BENEDICT / 2 BEDE / 3 B[E]RKmakS / 4 RAFael / ALL OF THem are PEDOPHILES.' 'BURWOOD' is also written at the right side of the list of names. In the top left corner there is a rectangular shaped face crying tears. - click to view larger image

A colour photo showing two women, with their arms around each other's shoulder. - click to view larger image

KH

Janice Konstantinidis

Exhibition graphic panel that reads: 'We always referred to ourselves as slaves, and, looking back, I can see that we were', attributed to 'Janice Konstantinidis, Good Shepherd Magdalene Laundry, Hobart, Tasmania, 1960s'. - click to view larger image

A copper cross and figure of Jesus mounted on a round stand. - click to view larger image

Exhibition graphic panel that reads: 'To this day, I believe that someone should be accountable for the tragic occurrences that I witnessed and underwent at that time. When I recall these incidents, I do not believe that any apology given by the government is of any value to me', attributed to 'Janice Konstantinidis, 2011'. - click to view larger image

Exhibtion graphic of black handwritten text on a beige background reads 'This is Spring in my garden. I love my garden. It is a source of great pleasure and an outlet for creativity. I have always trusted the seasons, perhaps more so than people. Seasons are reliable, a sense of the constant in a chaotic world for me. My world is not so chaotic now-days', attributed to 'Janice Konstantindis, 2011'. - click to view larger image

Photograph showing a garden scene inside a yellow floral border. - click to view larger image

Exhibition graphic of black handwritten text on a beige background reads: 'This is Spring in my garden. I love my garden. It is a source of great pleasure and an outlet for creativity. I have always trusted the seasons, perhaps more so than people. Seasons are reliable, a sense of the constant in a chaotic world for me. My world is not so chaotic now-days', attributed to 'Janice Konstantindis, 2011'. - click to view larger image

Colour image showing a woman sitting on a stone fence, nursing a dog. Mountains and pines trees are visible in the background. - click to view larger image

Barbara Lane

Exhibition graphic panel that reads: 'My body still remembers all the shame of what I witnessed, And the corrosive, all-pervasive acid-urine smell of fears. I was thirteen years.', attributed to 'Barbara Lane, Incarcerated in Osler House, the locked adult female psychiatric ward, Wolston Park Psychiatric Hospital, Queensland, 1980s'. - click to view larger image

Exhibition graphic panel that reads: 'They locked me up in Wilson, But now I have the key, For one man fought on my behalf: His name is Wally D.', attributed to 'Barbara Lane, Kedron Lodge, Kalinga, Queensland, 1970s'. - click to view larger image

Christine Lang

Judith Leonard

Exhibition graphic panel that reads: 'I didn't know what to wear', attributed to 'Judith Leonard, 2010'. - click to view larger image

Exhibition graphic panel that reads: 'I say to people my life was this way, your life was that way, but hey it's me', attributed to 'Judith Leonard, Glastonbury Orphanage, Geelong, Victoria, 1960s'. - click to view larger image

Judith Leonard portrait. - click to view larger image

Crystal Lennox

Jospehine Littlehawk

Exhibition graphic panel that reads: 'A dream catcher ... catches bad dreams and lets good dreams pass through it onot the sleeper ... the weaving of the web is a very uplifting and spiritual journey for the maker. The web represents the web of life, and the maker can add specific items to suit the person for whom it is made ... I am able to weave the web with great skill being that I'm a Blackfoot Indian descendant', attributed to 'Josepehine Littlehawk, 2011'. - click to view larger image

Photograph of a ciruclar dream catcher hanging in front of a dark background. Feathers hang from the bottom and sides of the main circle. A small skull sits at the top and a weblike pattern fills the centre of the circle. - click to view larger image

Gloria Lovely

Kerry Lowdon

Exhibition graphic panel that reads: 'When I was at the Bentleigh Children’s Home, I remember being made to repeat ‘yes, nobody loves me’ by one of the cottage parents', attributed to 'Kerry Lowdon, Bentleigh Children’s Home, Bentleigh, Victoria, 1980s, 'The Age,' 4 July 2004'. - click to view larger image

Exhibition graphic panel that reads: 'In institutions ... the person is lost, the child is lost. Who was Kerry! What colours did she like? What music did she like? What was her potential? All that stuff was never known', attributed to 'Kerry Lowdon, Bentleigh Children's Home, Bentleigh, Victoria, 1980s, 'The Age', 4 July 2004'. - click to view larger image

Exhibition graphic panel that reads: 'If you didn't say it, it didn't make it real', attributed to

Exhibition graphic panel that reads: 'The concept of family for me? It's like a foreign country you've never been to. You might as well say China' attributed to 'Kerry Lowdon, Bentleigh Children's Home, Bentleigh, Victoria, 1980s, 'The Age', 4 July 2004'. - click to view larger image

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