Where were you born?

I was born in Bankstown, NSW.

What year were you separated from your family?

I was separated from my family in 1966.

What happened the day you were separated from your family?

I remember the police coming with some other people, who put all us kids into the back of the police car. Then they took us to an unknown place leaving us to find out the next day it was a home for children in Glebe and it was called Bidura Home for Children.

How did this affect you?

I was very traumatised and did not understand what was happening or why I was taken away from my family.

Can you give us an example of how you felt?

I cried most days and cried myself to sleep every night as all I wanted, as you can imagine, was my family. Still to this day the past affects me, as I can't tell my own children my identity as an Aboriginal person or even where I come from.

What have you done to connect with your family?

When I was 14, I was placed into another girl's home at Guildford by the name of Lynwood Hall. The home received a letter from my mother asking for visitation rights also if I could have a weekend visit home, this was allowed. When I visited my mother I found out that my mother had gone on to have four more children so that leaving thirteen of us. After my mother died, I began searching the welfare records. I was able to find most of my other siblings. Another sister made contact last year in 2016 and we are now trying to find out more of our heritage and identity.

Can you tell us an important connection you have made?

Meeting my brothers and sisters after nearly 20 years, knowing they existed but not knowing where they were.

What are your hopes for the future?

To finally be able to find out where we come from and most importantly who is my father. Stolen gen

Wiradjuri Orange Community