- Joined
- Apr 9, 2012
- Messages
- 2,849
Just to add to the sob story,
one of the tragic things that happened in Australia in the 50's / 60's was "the stolen generation" where aboriginal kids were taken from their families and put into custody as their living standards were not appropriate. What is not as well known is that it also happened to whites. That's how I ended up in a orphanage at the age of 3 in 1961, then a few weeks later my mother visited and kidnapped me from the authorities and we lived unregistered and unknown for many years after until this policy ended unofficially. We ended up in the salvation army 3 times, lived in partially demolished houses as their was no social security for unmarried mothers back then. Also the catholic hospital where I was born tried to convince my mum to have me adopted out. The first support by government for single mothers in Australia was in fact by the conservative government of prime minister John Gorton (check the movie "The Dish" ) who himself was of illegitimate birth in around 1970.
When I was 1 year old, my mother found an aboriginal baby on her doorstep, she took care of him for a few months until the authorities took him away, I often wonder what happened to my "half brother". My dad was a rich guy but a bounder and a cad and in 1960 my mother was helped by a kindly lawyer (yes they did exist once) who ran the first court case for the support of an unmarried mothers kid. It came down to he said he was not the father, so the wise judge asked my dad to come forward, and then asked me to waddle forward and did a 1960's genetic test. he then pronounced "you are the father" - same bloody big boof head. Then my mother set the precedent for payment in Australia, my dad then set the precedent to piss off and fail to pay!
One other interesting story was at one stage she was the live in maid for the catholic priest (the Marist brothers in Hawthorn) and one Christmas night a drunk priest sacked her for reporting a broken stove. Next morning when he sobered up he begged her to stay but she left- single mother booted out at Christmas by a pissed priest! Pleased to report the gay priest was OK and never molested me.
Things changed a lot for me in 1972 when the Whitlam Labour government introduced free education and I completed a 5 year double degree in electronic and electrical engineering. Pity the stupid Hawke Labour government reintroduced some fees in the early 80's. They are actually separate fields and one can hardly relate to the other other than Ohms law.
My mother left Holland in 1955 due to really bad WW2 wartime experiences at the age of around 30 as she was convinced WW3 would again be in Europe and came to Australia where she met dear ol dad. Maybe she had the location right but wrong time?
Here is a picture of her....that's where I get my good looks (and BLACK hair):
She died a few years ago at the age of 92, never married again.
one of the tragic things that happened in Australia in the 50's / 60's was "the stolen generation" where aboriginal kids were taken from their families and put into custody as their living standards were not appropriate. What is not as well known is that it also happened to whites. That's how I ended up in a orphanage at the age of 3 in 1961, then a few weeks later my mother visited and kidnapped me from the authorities and we lived unregistered and unknown for many years after until this policy ended unofficially. We ended up in the salvation army 3 times, lived in partially demolished houses as their was no social security for unmarried mothers back then. Also the catholic hospital where I was born tried to convince my mum to have me adopted out. The first support by government for single mothers in Australia was in fact by the conservative government of prime minister John Gorton (check the movie "The Dish" ) who himself was of illegitimate birth in around 1970.
When I was 1 year old, my mother found an aboriginal baby on her doorstep, she took care of him for a few months until the authorities took him away, I often wonder what happened to my "half brother". My dad was a rich guy but a bounder and a cad and in 1960 my mother was helped by a kindly lawyer (yes they did exist once) who ran the first court case for the support of an unmarried mothers kid. It came down to he said he was not the father, so the wise judge asked my dad to come forward, and then asked me to waddle forward and did a 1960's genetic test. he then pronounced "you are the father" - same bloody big boof head. Then my mother set the precedent for payment in Australia, my dad then set the precedent to piss off and fail to pay!
One other interesting story was at one stage she was the live in maid for the catholic priest (the Marist brothers in Hawthorn) and one Christmas night a drunk priest sacked her for reporting a broken stove. Next morning when he sobered up he begged her to stay but she left- single mother booted out at Christmas by a pissed priest! Pleased to report the gay priest was OK and never molested me.
Things changed a lot for me in 1972 when the Whitlam Labour government introduced free education and I completed a 5 year double degree in electronic and electrical engineering. Pity the stupid Hawke Labour government reintroduced some fees in the early 80's. They are actually separate fields and one can hardly relate to the other other than Ohms law.
My mother left Holland in 1955 due to really bad WW2 wartime experiences at the age of around 30 as she was convinced WW3 would again be in Europe and came to Australia where she met dear ol dad. Maybe she had the location right but wrong time?
Here is a picture of her....that's where I get my good looks (and BLACK hair):
She died a few years ago at the age of 92, never married again.
