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Barnardos > About Barnardos > Our History > Child Migration
Barnardos' "official" Immigration Scheme began in 1920. A representative of Dr. Barnardos Homes in England - Miss Mabel Cameron - was sent to Australia to raise funds and support for the institution and the Immigration Scheme which, by this date, was sending great numbers of children to Canada.
Whilst in Sydney she called upon the 'Millions Club' - a group of businessmen whose common aim was to fill Australia with a million farms worked by a million British migrant settlers. The Club's President, Sir Arthur Richard, urged Miss Cameron and the Board of Dr Barnardos in London to "send the boys here ... you'll find we'll treat you right royally". After an exchange of cables and negotiations between Sir Arthur and the Board the first party of 47 boys left the United Kingdom for Australia in 1921.
The first reception hostel in New South Wales was a former Red Cross hospital at Botany Bay, however, this was not suitable and eventually a home was purchased in Ashfield. This two-storey residence, which housed up to 60 boys, was used as a place of temporary residence upon their arrival in Australia and as a convalescent home.
The purchase of the Ashfield property coincided with the arrival of the first party of girls in 1924, who were allowed to come to Australia on the condition they worked as domestic staff for at least two years. And so the children came, to seek adventure, fame and fortune in a land they knew little about.
A number of local support groups were formed for the children for example in Singleton, Scone and Wagga Wagga. With the opening of the Barnardos' farm training school at 'Mowbray Park', Picton, in 1929, children were able to come to Australia and attend a school built on the property. Later they attended a larger central school in the nearby township. When they reached 16 years they became farm trainees for six months after which they were sent to farm positions.
Eventually most settled in NSW, others on individual farms and in homes - but time has seen these immigrant children grow and raise families of their own and contribute greatly to Australian life. During World War II, many Barnardos boys and girls joined the Australian Armed Forces and Barnardos head office assisted them by keeping and banking their pay allotment monies on their behalf. By 1938, 2,340 children had arrived in Australia. The film 'The Boy from Barnardos' was being shown in 100 theatres.
No children arrived during the war years, but Barnardos assisted children in evacuating from the United Kingdom for the duration of the war. After the war, Barnardos continued to send children on a diminishing scale. During this time Barnardos opened a new group of homes for brothers and sisters at Normanhurst on Sydney's North Shore. Three cottages cared for children aged 10 upwards who attended local schools and later went on to positions in shops or offices or were apprenticed in the area.
In 1948 the UK press criticised child migration and Mr P.T. Kirkpatrick, GeneraI Superintendent of Homes came from England to examine the condition of the children. He reported that "standards of care were very high".
It became more and more obvious that, like the rest of the Australian population, fewer Barnardos boys and girls wanted a life in the country. The drift to the city amongst former farm lads became even more marked than in the period before the war.
The Child Migration Scheme was a product of a historical period when there was a lack of understanding of the long term impact on children and young people sent so far from their country and family of origin.
Our 'Old Boys and Girls' have greatly assisted our understanding of the importance of issues of identity, access to records, the stigma and feeling of shame experienced by children reared in institutions and other matters which have enriched our current services. |
