Overview

The Bush Orphanage is a story in two parts. Part I is the personal life story of John Hawkins, who as a seven-year-old British orphan, was sent to Australia as part of the British Child Migration Scheme, despite having a loving foster family in London who desperately wanted to adopt him. In Australia, John spent his childhood in the custody of church camp administrators, only occasionally enjoying the comfort of weekend stays with a foster family in the suburbs of Perth. His childhood was defined by his experiences in Tardun Boys Home - and the larrikins, eccentrics, saints and sinners he encountered there. Despite the harsh experience of group foster care, John went on to marry, start a family and develop a successful business. But the memories of his mother and of his foster family in England inspired him to find out exactly why he'd been stolen from them and from his homeland. Part II is an overview of the British Child Migration Scheme. It examines the facts regarding the complicity of British and Australian governments who shirked their legal and moral responsibility for the lives of child migrants and, in doing so, negated the common misconception that the genuine but misguided authorities in Britain and Australia were driven by benevolence and goodwill to give children a fresh start in life. It is also a story of the churches and secular organisations that took part in child migration, and ultimately have taken the blame for the tragedy. Included in the book is controversial new research revealing how scandals and corruption set the Child Migration scheme up for failure before it even began. The true story of how child migration became the greatest childcare disaster in Australian history.

Full Product Details

9780980619317

Table of Contents

Reviews

Author Information

A born survivor, John Hawkins endless optimism and humour have served him well in a life that has been anything but ordinary. While at the Bush Orphanage (Tardun Agricultural School) he gained a reputation as someone never afraid to stand up and be counted. This reputation has endured throughout his years of farming and charity work. Ever an activist, John formed the WA Noodle Wheat Growers Association in 1989, working directly with Japanese buyers to fight for fairer wheat prices for farmers. This pioneering work resulted in John being awarded as the WA Rural Achiever of the Year in 1993. As one of the founders of the Tardun Old Boys Association, John has worked to ensure ongoing support for a generation of child migrants. Their objective is to preserve their unique legacy and keep safe a network of childhood friends who have stuck together throughout their lives. Together, these friends set up the Australian Child Migrant Foundation in 1995, raising hundreds and thousands of dollars to help reunite child migrants with their families. They continued their work until the British Government set up their own travel fund. A father of two daughters (Jo, 28 and Belinda, 25), John has now swapped the red sands of the desert for the golden sands of Australia's west coast. He currently lives in Scarborough Beach, Western Australia, where he continues active involvement in the Tardun Old Boys Association and his local community. His most recent work has been in establishing a charit

Tab Content 6

Countries Available