WA Care Leavers memorial

Back into the light

A memorial with special significance for West Australian Care Leavers is the ‘Unfolding Lives’ sculpture, which was unveiled in December 2010 outside the old Museum in the Northbridge Cultural Centre. The memorial, known to many care leavers as the ‘Chatterbox’, was placed in storage four years ago, during redevelopment of the new Boola Bardip Museum. In mid-2020, Mark Farmer, a WA care leaver and advocate, began lobbying for reinstatement of the memorial, prompting a series of consultations by the WA Government on this issue. The consultation process is being handled by the Office of the WA Commissioner for Victims of Crime, which is seeking input from WA care leavers and other stakeholders. About 35 people attended a meeting at Tuart Place on 29th March 2021, including members of the Stolen Generations; former child migrants; and the Forgotten Australians - non-Indigenous Australian-born care leavers. The Welcome to Country was provided by Noongar Elder Dorothy (Dot) Bagshaw, a former resident of Carrolup - Marribank Mission. Among those present were WA Commissioner for Victims of Crime Kati Kraszlan and colleagues Charlotte Hastings and Natalie Burgis; Matthew Wilding, Director of Corporate Information, WA Department of Communities; FACT Inc Board members Cevrina Reed, Dale Lynch, Ann McVeigh and Lyn McLaughlin; Derek Smith, Vice President of Old Fairbridgians Association WA; as well as representatives and ex-residents of a wide range of former children’s Homes in WA.

Commissioner Kati Kraszlan began her presentation by apologising for the lack of information provided to care leavers about the removal of the Chatterbox memorial four years ago, and acknowledging the distress this had caused. Kati disclosed that the memorial had been damaged as it was removed from the plinth, and that funding has been made available for its restoration. A lively discussion ensued with plenty of ideas about locations for the memorial and its signage. After relaying this feedback to Government, Kati will come back for further consultation and discussion of options. Thank you to student social worker Meagan Court for taking notes at this meeting. Copies are available from Tuart Place on request.

Flashback to the 2010 unveiling of ‘Unfolding Lives’....

Welcome to Country

Dot Bagshaw (Carrolup-Marribank)

March 2021 Memorial consultation at Tuart Place (L-R): Pip White (Tuart Place), Eddie Hewett (Tardun), Malcolm Head (Bindoon), Matthew Wilding (Department of Communities), Mark Farmer (Care Leaver Advocate), Kati Kraszlan (Commissioner for Victims of Crime), Derek Smith (Old Fairbridgians Association WA), Ann McVeigh (St Joseph’s & FACT Inc Board)

Do memorials matter?

“Memorials can provide symbolic reparation and public recognition to victims and survivors in ways that can contribute to healing. 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”. (Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, 2017, Vol.17, p.65) Memorials of all kinds - plaques, headstones, public statues, and heritage trails - are physical reminders of someone or something that is important to somebody. Memorials can celebrate, or mourn, or both, and we all interpret them differently. A memorial that marks a tragedy ensures that it is not forgotten, and can unburden the survivors of this task. Memorials can also provide a rallying point for commemoration or celebration, and help to connect the past with the present. (See Remembering Michael Bowman on p21). Contact Tuart Place to find out how to contribute to the current consultation on the future of WA’s Unfolding Lives memorial.

What do memorials mean to you?