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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.

Hughie McConnell

Hugh McGowan

Exhibition graphic panel that reads: 'When I was twelve I was asked if I wanted to go to Australia. At first I was excited … [then] I told the cottage father that I had changed my mind and didn’t want to go. His words still ring in my ears -

Black and white photo of a group of adults farewelling children as they catch a train. Typewritten text underneath reads: 'Hugh McGowan (bottom left) and other child migrants are put on a Glasgow train for London to board a ship for Australia, and are farewelled by their cottage mothers. September 1961'. In smaller text, on the left-hand side of the image, in a vertical direction, reads 'Courtesy Hugh McGowan'. - click to view larger image

Colour photograph showing a man standing in front of a museum display. Two young people, their backs to the camera, talk with the man. - click to view larger image

A typed letter reads: 'Dear Miss McGowan, We have been invited to send a small party of boys to a Home not unlike our own in Australia and where we have some boys already. After a time there the boys would be placed in suitable employment and altogether we feel it would be a very good chance for the boys selected, especially when their outside contacts in this Country are not so strong. Having regard to these circumstances would you be willing to allow your son, Hugh, to be submitted to go to Australia? I should, of course, like to make it clear that investigations are, at present, only in the preliminary stages. I would, too, like you to know that Hugh is very keen to go. I should be glad to hear from you as soon as possible. Yours faithfully, Superintentent'. The letter is signed 'Hector C' [illegible surname] and dated 11th January, 1961, on a 'Quarrier's Homes' letterhead. An envelope addressed to 'Miss S. McGowan, Camberley, Surrey' is at the top. The letter is stamped and postmarked 'Return to sender' and '[illegible] be found'. - click to view larger image

Ann McVeigh

Black and white photograph showing three rows of small children's beds with white covers and a doll sitting on each. A nun walks down the centre of the room. - click to view larger image

Black and white image showing a large room with two rows of nine white cots on each side. The cots have curved metal feet and are covered with a white, lacy material. At the centre of the room is a large table, covered in white, with a vase of flowers on top. - click to view larger image

Black and white image showing a long line of girls in uniform, standing at the side of a street. There are three nuns with with girls. Various trees form a backdrop. - click to view larger image

Douglas Mann

Peter Martin

Mary Mason

Lynette Meyers

Black and white photo of a woman's tattooed arms. The photo caption reads 'I got my tattoos on my arms when I first went into Winlator ... The girls used to have Indian ink and sewing needles, and to rebel ... everybody used to tattoo themselves ... When I finally got out ... if you had tattoos, you couldn't get a job. I covered them up .. but when they found out they got rid of me' attributed to 'Lynette Meyers, Winlaton Youth Training Centre, Nunawading, Victoria, 1960s'. - click to view larger image

Lynette Meyers portrait. - click to view larger image

Maria Monaghan

Andrew Murray

Exhibition graphic panel that reads: 'This appalling treatment of vulnerable kids has its match in prisoner of war camps. Places ... that incarcerated and brutalised far too many young people in 20th century Australia', attributed to 'Senator Andrew Murray, from his address in Parliament on the issue of an apology, March 2008, Rhodesia Fairbridge Memorial College (Children’s Home), Rhodesia (Zimbabwe), 1940s'. - click to view larger image

Colour photograph showing a man wearing a suit, leaning on a desk to address a parliamentary chamber. - click to view larger image

Exhibition graphic panel that reads: 'The reports into the three cohorts of institutionalised and in-care Indigenous Australians, non-Indigenous Australians, and child migrants all exhibit the long-term effects of harming children; if you hurt a child, a harmed adult will often result ... How many ... MPs have read them; how many senior bureaucrats?', attributed to 'Andrew Murray’s address to the Annual General Meeting of Barnados Australia, 25 November 2010'. - click to view larger image

John Murray

Exhibition graphic panel that reads: 'A known list of the experimental agents run through the orphanages of Australia ...[includes] vaccines for diphtheria, whooping cough, herpes, polio, influenza, measles, rubella, quadruple antigen, and human pituitary hormones', attributed to 'John Murray, Minali, Lidcombe, New South Wales, 1970s'. - click to view larger image

A colour image of an old wooden rubber stamp with the words displayed on one side 'Committed to institution (boys)'. The knob-like handle is black and the base of the stamp is a light brown. There are many signs of wear and age. - click to view larger image

Exhibition graphic panel that reads: 'The authorities invented crimes to ensure we could be punished at whim, then covered up the transgressions and abuses of their own. And now we have to see almost all those who have abused us escape justice. Having received the government's 'care' and the government's apology, we cannot expect justice to improve', attributed to 'John Murray, Positive Justice Centre', 2011. - click to view larger image

An image of the front of a hardcover book with a blue cover and yellow edging. 'THE BIBLE' is printed in yellow on it with 'AUTHORIZED VERSION' printed in black below. A design of grapes and grape leaves as well as a man sowing grain are also printed in black. - click to view larger image

William Nelson

Exhibition graphic panel that reads: 'Oh Scotland! Why did ye forsake me? Why send me from your shores? ... At last the journey’s over. My family I did greet. I’ll now return to my adopted land. To live my life in peace.', attributed to 'William Nelson, 2000'. - click to view larger image

Colour photograph of a man standing in a garden outside a house. He wears traditional Scottish dress of a tartan kilt, sporran and tailored jacket. - click to view larger image

Michael O'Donoghue

Black and white photo showing a seated boy wearing a woollen jumper. - click to view larger image

Exhibition graphic panel that reads: 'It was child labour — to build up the resources of the church. We worked before and after school and at weekends. If they thought we weren’t working hard enough they hit us. I’ve still got the injury from one beating', attributed to 'Michael O’Donoghue, Clontarf Boys Town, Waterford, Western Australia, 1950s'. - click to view larger image

Polaroid photograph showing a large group of boys busy on a buliding site. Many dig in the foreground and others walk up a plank on the left. Typewritten text below reads 'Boys building the swimming pool at Clontarf Boys Town, Waterford, Western Australia, about 1956. Photograph by Michael O'Donoghue'. - click to view larger image

An irregular shaped piece of concrete that is almost a triangle. One side of the concrete is corrugated and has been painted white. The other sides are rough and coloured grey. - click to view larger image

Exhibition graphic panel that reads: 'Brother Murphy ... would prowl around the dormitory after lights out taking children out of their beds to his room ... when he got sick of the children he was using and abusing he used to flog them and get some more', attributed to 'Michael O'Donoghue, Clontarf Boys Town, Waterford, Western Australia, 1950s.' - click to view larger image

Mary Owen

Nigel Owen

Joanna Penglase

Exhibition graphic panel that reads: 'Tracy would never eat the morning porridge, and as a result had to stand in the corner in her nightie with a lump of porridge in her mouth. There she stayed all morning …' attributed to 'Joanna Penglase, Children's Home, Sydney, 1950s, 'Orphans of the Living', by Joanna Penglase, 2005'. - click to view larger image

Colour photo showing a woman standing behind a wooden chair in a gallery space, with a large black and white photo and various objects visible on the wall behind. - click to view larger image

Anna Phillips

Warren Porter

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