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The Forum > Article Comments > Marlene’s story > Comments

Marlene’s story : Comments

By Bernie Matthews, published 15/8/2007

Marlene is the product of a brutalising child-care system that stole her childhood.

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Bernie Matthews’ article focused on the Stolen Generation – and rightly so. Marlene’s story is a classic case of abuse and neglect by the State.

However, his introduction placed the institutionalisation of indigenous children within a broader framework of the 500,000 Australian children who were incarcerated in institutions. Bernie summarised their experiences: “Many of these vulnerable children were subjected to an institutionalised reign of terror that saw childhood innocence replaced with fear and psychological degradation.”

My comments should not detract from the horror of that case or from the disgrace of the Stolen Generation generally. Australians should read the Stolen Generations report, Bringing Them Home (HREOC 1997) but also the Forgotten Australians (Senate 2004) which details the treatment of children in institutions generally.

Bernie is right: “No other Australians were subject to the same discriminatory assimilation policies from the day they were born.” But once locked inside these institutions the colour of your skin made little difference. Bernie’s assessment applies broadly: “They were state-raised in an incarceration process that created unintended and devastating consequences during their adult lives”.

Sexual and psychological abuse, violence and lack of love (not to mention lack of educational opportunities) were characteristic of a system that lacked accountability and public scrutiny. Sexual predators were common among staff and even when they were blatantly exposed they were often just transferred to another opportunity.

Children who ran away had their names recorded in the Police Gazette, were tracked down, recaptured and humiliated.

Many former inmates are like Marlene - the disintegration of their adult lives “the product of the brutalising child-care system that stole [their] childhood”.

Many Forgotten Australians and Stolen Generation members are desperate to recover their files to recreate the story of their missing childhood. Many are finding that they had siblings or other relatives despite their ‘carers’ telling them lies to the contrary.

Tasmania and Queensland and some churches have modest redress schemes to help people whose childhoods have damaged their adulthoods. Other States, while issuing apologies (not the Commonwealth of course), have left it to the courts to decide if accountability is enforceable retrospectively.
Posted by FrankGol, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 11:40:39 AM
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Thank you Bernie for writing this very sad, but informative article.

I hope, given the hardships the Federal Government have placed on single mothers and their families in recent times, that families and childrens lives will not be destroyed, as they were during the period of the article.
Posted by Liz, Wednesday, 15 August 2007 8:08:56 PM
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I also suffered a similiar fate due to being made a ward of the state in the late 1950's.
I was removed from my family as a young child, placed in a state run boys home in Victoria.
In the Victorian State run institutions I was subjected to being tampered with by a member of staff at the Salvation Army Boys Home Number 2 at the Basin Victoria.
I spent the next 40 or so years in boys homes and prisons for following a life of crime all of which I learnt in institutions.
I had good training as a criminal and climbed the ranks in the underworld which almost cost my life in 1990 in Sydney.
Many of my friends all of who I met in institutions died violent deaths in underworld fueds.
In the mid 1990's I decided I had had enough of following the life as a career criminal and broke all ties with past friends and disappeared.
I changed my name by deed poll and rehabilitated myself. Occassionaly I get the urge to contact past friends, but manage to resist the urge.
Posted by gypsy, Thursday, 16 August 2007 8:28:48 AM
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That is so sad, no child should have to go through that! Good job to you Gypsy for turning your life around, you must be a very strong man as I am sure it wasn't easy to do. You should be very proud of yourself.
Posted by V.Amberlee, Thursday, 16 August 2007 11:31:16 AM
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Whatever became of Marlene? A person wth that much guts and sense of right could teach all of us something.
Posted by Goddess, Friday, 17 August 2007 1:24:38 PM
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hows life bernie?

How much do i still owe you?

Did you charge me interest while I was away?
Posted by lesking, Sunday, 19 August 2007 3:56:18 AM
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Bernie, what a champion for bringing this to life, no hiding and collecting dust hopeing it goes away by bureaucrat's. This can not disappear.

Marleen's story and others have destroyed to many lives and family generations

I was in Hay for nine months, 365 girls, in thirteen years went threw that Concentration camp, one died in transit. Why?
injuries from bushing's, psychotic drug Largatral, fear of being sent to Hay. Is there postmortem for that girl? It was State run.

Reading John Murray's "From the cradle to the grave"
Government and Child Welfare could do any thing to nobody's child.

Child Welfare and Governments of those days should be responsible for the seven young girls that suicided at a very young age that went threw that nine months with me at Hay.
State Archives files on Parramatta Girls home & Hay Institution for girls are closed for seventy years, "to protect us girls" we were told.
State Archives have our medication records, punishment records.
isolation lock ups, detention records. Would be easy for all to prove the abuse and inhumane acts we suffered.
Instead we are put threw hell again to prove our stories to break the statue limitations. Records should be supenered.
Be accountable for what they did.

The protection is for the government and Welfare system and the animals they employed to "care" abuse and rape us.

V.Amberlee .It was not just guts Marleen had, it was knowing right from wrong, standing up for another child black or white, survival and loyalty was what she got punished for and sent to Hay.

Marleen has used her knowledge and survival in helping other children, no book, Marleen used her experience and should be proud, after no childhood, no family connection, losing her brothers and living her chilhood in voilent sadistic Institutions, It wasn't only her childhood taken it was her life. How could any one have such a tragic existence and not have life long trauma. The demons and injustices are always lurking. appear when you least expect it to in every day life.

Rattle
Posted by Rattles, Tuesday, 21 August 2007 1:48:52 AM
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Hey Goddess,I believe Marlene has made a good life for herself.I know her sister has.I'm an exHay girl myself and in contact with a few of the old girls.We really want to see that these unbelievable atrocities don't occur again.It isn't a" poor me" attitude for most of us,just a matter of exposing mans inhumanity to man.Some are taking legal action but having trouble getting the statute of limitations overturned.Good luck to the one's with the guts to take on the government. Animals were treated better than children in care in those days.It really is a wonder that any of us became "decent,normal" citizens.
Posted by haygirl, Monday, 27 August 2007 9:56:10 AM
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Hey haygirl, I am so pleased to know you have survived what a lot of others Hay Girls haven't. I have survived also but still so many things have changed me.
There are so many ignorant people still do not get what is behind these stories of past child abuse by governments that have run this country, past and present. A child welfare system that has never changed. A country that has higher than high child abuse and still refuses to look at it.
Still so many in our society that still do not understand what a Ward of the State means. Then you get the arrogant ones that do no and have a attitude that WE were the bad ones and all want to stay victims. How do we change attatudes Hay girl?

Rattle
Posted by Rattles, Thursday, 30 August 2007 3:30:26 PM
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Hi Rattles,We can only change peoples opinions by telling the truth.Liars will be caught out and make the rest of us seem untruthful also.I fought those mongrels all the way and that's why i'm strong today.My heart goes out to the ones who weren't so strong and i'll do all i can to help them now.If you want to talk to me,email jennyr22@optusnet.com.au If you are already a member of the parragirls organisation you will know who i am.If not ,i was in parramatta 3 times and Hay once.Hope to hear from you.
Posted by haygirl, Thursday, 30 August 2007 3:50:28 PM
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I just want to say THANK YOU for telling us your story Marlene.
I for one could never believe such atrocities happen in (so called) “care”
You are a very BRAVE woman
I wish you well in life and again thank you for sharing this very private story with us.
Posted by Fruityfee, Thursday, 30 August 2007 4:00:43 PM
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