At present I have the Aboriginal Heritage people looking into my Maternal Grandma's years of growing up. She was placed in an orphanage in the care of the Sister's of Mercy (Catholic) in 1918. This, by all accounts, makes her part of the stolen generation. This surprised me as I did not ever see it that way. With everything in the news, and the public "Sorry Day" that went on, I did not once think of my Grandma as being part of that.
She never ever complained about her up-bringing, how could she? She did not know any other life.
It was a hard life, but she felt fortunate to have had food, water and a bed to sleep in..even if it was freezing cold. Her day began at 4am and went until 8pm when lights went out. I have alot written down, like a diary, from her days living with me and my husband and my baby boys.
Her life was so interesting. But sad too, as she only ever met her Mum briefly in her life. And then she was introduced as a friend of a friend.
Anyway, the Aboriginal Heritage people have been great and I await their news with anticipation.... of family members that I did not know I had, of the heritage that my Grandmother had stolen from her..I want to restore it with my four children.
10 comments:
Oh I hope you find out some things that satisfy you babe!
Its a total travesty on the australian history to have the stolen generation..Im sure the white ppl meant well...yeah they always think they are right LOL
It's exciting and scary at the same time, Cazzie, wondering what/who there is out there waiting :)
This is going to be very interesting. I will await with anticipation and catch a goanna for roasting to celebrate. (hope that is not a racist attempt at humour)
This will be a good blog post....i just know it. I can hardly wait....i think one's ancestry is amazing to discover.
You are lucky you have a way to find out about your grandmother's life. My grandmother wouldn't ever talk about her life in England. I've been trying to trace my ancestry, and have found out some interesting things, but it would have been so much easier and more interesting if she had ever talked about her childhood, her family, etc. My grandfather, from Ireland, was the same way.
Good luck.
Buterflies, me too, I am excited and also kind of stepping back a bit..awaiting what news comes our way.
Jayne, you hit my feelings right on the knocker :)
Andrew, roasting the goanna would be just fine..and I love it :)
Rosemary, yes, a history post it will be. I know bits and pieces..and it is hard to find out more without the help of the Aboriginal Heritage people...they are a blessing to me.
Betty, yes that too would be difficult to follow back to England. So many changes between countries... wemay have exciting stories to retrieve.
How very exciting! finding lost relatives will be an interesting adventure. i look forward to reading about what you are going to learn.
How exciting to delve back in your ancestry. It is so interesting to find where we came from.
Mom, yes, it isw exciting. However, the Heritage people said that it can take some time to collect informtion from the era my Grandma was in the Catholic Home..due to the stolen generation etc etc. Records are not found sometimes :( Fingers crossed.
Ginnie, yes, where we came from...how we got here.. amazing.
My own dad worked 12 hours a day beginning as a 12year old - during the depression because he had to eat and so did the family. The dad was ill. But he had the love of his mum and dad. There was a lot done wrong to the kids taken black and white. But and as some admitted there were some good stories and places when the children were treated with love after being abandoned by their own people both black and white...
somewhere in the middle as always is the truth - it was wrong in most cases, both black and white - just sad that too many little kids grew up without love. No matter how hard the work is there is love - its bearable -
will be so interested in your outcome
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