FORMER Fairbridge resident David Hill had the door closed on him in Molong when he wanted to launch his book The Forgotten Children in May 2007, telling the story of the lives of some of the children who lived at Fairbridge Farm.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
A scheduled launch of his book was cancelled, despite strong interest in Orange and other parts of the district.
Molong always maintained strong connections with Fairbridge with many former child migrants who went to Fairbridge, working and settling down in the town.
Now Mr Hill says he wants to go back to Molong to have the opportunity to launch his book which lifted the lid on stories of abuse at the farm school.
“I couldn’t believe it at the time that the launch was cancelled. People just didn’t believe it or didn’t want to know,” he said.
Mr Hill’s friend Wade Mahlo who organised posters for the book launch back in 2007 says Monday’s announcement of a $24 million compensation payout, the largest in Australian legal history, to the former residents of Fairbridge for child abuse has vindicated his friend.
“In protest, after we were told the book launch was cancelled, we pulled up the ute to the railway station in Molong and had our book launch there,” Mr Mahlo said.
Mr Hill added the cancellation came with no notice or reason.
“We were so shocked at the time the launch was cancelled as we had a book signing here in Orange at the bookstore and there were so many people,” Mr Hill said.
“Then at night there was a fundraising dinner in Orange for a cancer group and there were hundreds of people there.”
Mr Hill’s mother was a poor single parent living in England and in 1959 reluctantly decided to send her two sons to Fairbridge Farm where she believed they would have a better life.
At the time of the release of The Forgotten Children celebrated author Thomas Keneally said the book was a heartbreaking account of life on the working farm for children and it was impeccably researched.
Mr Hill says he counts himself as one of the lucky ones as his mother was able to follow her sons to Australia.
The publishing of Mr Hill’s book The Forgotten Children depicting stories of abuse by former child migrants was seen as catalyst for the court case to move forward.
In August the Supreme Court will confirm a $24 million compensation payout to former child residents of Fairbridge Farm after the Fairbridge Foundation, and NSW and federal government’s acknowledged this week they had failed to adequately protect the children from abuse during the years the farm operated from 1938 to 1974
