A new exhibition at Immigration Museum looks at the history of British child migration that occurred under child migration schemes from the 1860s through to 1967.
On their own – Britain’s child migrants reveals a largely untold chapter of migration history – that of British children who were sent to Australia and other Commonwealth countries under government-endorsed child migration schemes. The schemes changed the lives of these children and their families dramatically.
The exhibition explores the history and motivations behind child migration schemes and conveys the experiences shared by children as young as four who endured the uncertainty of a long journey and the confronting arrival. On their own follows the lives of some former child migrants in their own words, letters, photographs, objects and other personal collections.
A section developed by Immigration Museum and the Child Migrants Trust focuses on the personal narratives of former child migrants sent to the Victorian and Tasmanian homes.
As many as 7,500 British children came to Australia as part of the schemes. “Few of the children were actually orphans; their situations varied greatly,” said Kim Tao, Exhibition Curator, Australian National Maritime Museum. “The official government reason for placing children throughout the Commonwealth was to improve their lives and increase the population of ‘good British stock’ and labour in the colonies. Boys were expected to become farmers and girls were expected to become domestics or wives on the land.”
When the children arrived in Australia they were the responsibility of either State or Federal governments and were taken to remote farm training schools and religious institutions where they were subject to a range of experiences, which had many and varied effects on the children. Many are still coming to terms with their past and are attempting to move forward and to heal their lives.
While some children had better experiences and opportunities than others, the migration schemes are now largely recognised as flawed social policy. They were officially ended in Australia in 1967. Both the British and Australian governments have formally apologised for their roles in the schemes, which were described by the 2001 Australian Senate Inquiry ‘Lost Innocents’ as “fundamentally flawed with tragic consequence.”
“On their own looks at the legacy of the experiences that remain with the child migrants,” said Padmini Sebastian, Manager, Immigration Museum. “The exhibition provides an important link between history and personal experience, for a story that has remained largely untold – except by the child migrants themselves”.
On their own – Britain’s child migrants is an Australian National Maritime Museum Travelling Exhibition in association with National Museums Liverpool UK.
On their own – Britain’s child migrants
13 October 2011 to 6 May 2012
Immigration Museum, 400 Flinders Street Melbourne
Adults $10, children and concessions FREE