Australia Memorial Visits:

Throughout Australia, memorials stand as powerful reminders of the experiences of Forgotten Australians, former child migrants, those affected by forced adoptions and members of the Stolen Generations.  During my travels, visiting these symbols of reparation and recognition felt profoundly important.

The significance of memorials was highlighted by the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse (2017):

“Memorials honour those who have suffered and provide opportunities to remember the past and think about the future.  They provide a specific place for families and wider society to reflect on the trauma of survivors and mourn the victims lost.  They may also serve to educate future generations about what occurred in society’s history and provide a space for public awareness and remembrance” (Volume 17, 2.5)

Below are some of the memorials that left an indelible mark on me:

Forgotten Australians Memorial: ‘Unfolding Lives’, Perth:

This striking sculpture resembles a child’s origami fortune teller. The lines symbolise an old exercise book and each segment bears poignant words from Forgotten Australians.

Stolen Generations Memorial, Mount Annan, Sydney:

This monument depicts an Indigenous family being torn apart, with the hollow space between the mother and child allowing rainwater to flow – a symbolic ‘river of tears’.

Located at Yandel-ora (meaning ‘land of peace between peoples’ in the D’harawal language), the site displays plaques along the boardwalk to the main sculpture, sharing the individuals stories of members of the Stolen Generations. 

Forced Adoption Memorial, ‘Taken Not Given’, Melbourne:

This moving tribute honours mothers and children separated by forced adoption practices. 

It offers a poignant depiction of love and loss as described by the artist: 

 ‘ The mother, holding in her arms….no baby.  Her arm outstretched…to her child that she no longer has.  The toddler holding his toy bird, the mother and toddler have spent from birth to this stage apart.  The young girl with her hand reaching back to the mother she has never known, and looking ahead to the future.  The life cycle’

Former Child Migrants, ‘Memorial to the migrant children’, Fremantle:

This monument remembers British and Maltese children sent to Western Australia under child migration schemes.  It features a young boy and girl, their worldly possession packed into a small suitcase, embodying the courage and loss of children sent far from home. 

Each of these memorials tells a unique story of pain, resilience and remembrance.  Visiting these sites was a deeply moving experience, offering an opportunity to reflect on the shared responsibility to ensure such histories are never forgotten.