This semester my two subjects are Writing History and Journalism, and I've met (online of course) the students I will be working with this semester. It is amazing the age range (some are almost finished their Masters at 25 years of age, and at least one other is mid 60's like me. They come from all around the world - one student posted from a coffee shop in New York this morning, and others are in Europe and all parts of Australia.
In Writing History we are exploring our own family histories and in less than 500 words there are amazing stories that scream out for a book. Some of the students and families escaped from Europe during World War II, others have histories dating well back before that of settlement in Australia, and some have had tragic beginnings to their lives. I've laughed and cried reading the stories.
At the same time I have been reading a book by David Hill "The Forgotten Children. Fairbridge Farm School and Its Betrayal of Australia's Child Migrants." It is a gripping tale of the children who were shipped to Australia, some orphans or from one parent families, to Australia to a so-called better life in the lucky country. The gall of the Fairbridge Society to buy them new clothes, and shoes and send them by sea to Australia, and take the wonderful new clothes and shoes from them on arrival, and have them live life as servants essentially to the Farm as they grew up. How they were not re-united, as earlier promised, with their families, and how they were treated in a most acrimonious fashion in Australia.
I am halfway through the book and can't put it down. I'm angry, embarrassed, and so sad for the children who grew up in this abomination of a place in New South Wales.
I know times have changed and we tend to be more critical of things that occurred in the past comparing them with the knowledge and information we now have, but the treatment of these children by a church associated organisation is galling.
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