Stolen generations
Words, voices and images: Connecting to cultures around the world
“We were stripped and scrubbed with kerosene, all we could hear was the children crying”.
Duration
24.04
Director
Andrea Hylands
Cinematography
Andrea Hylands
In the bustling atmosphere of the art fair in Singapore the discussion turns to the stolen generations of Aboriginal children in Australia. Sandra was stolen when she was only seven years old.
Sandra Hill and Peter Hylands are at Art Stage Singapore. In all the trauma, we should not forget what a significant artist Sandra has become.
Peter: Sandra, when we think about stolen generations of Aboriginal people in Australia can you just describe some of that history?
Sandra: Well, on my father’s side I am Wadandi from the West coast of the South-West corner of Western Australia and on my mother’s side I am Wilman, she is more into (what is now) the wheatbelt area. Both my parents were Nyoongars and on my mother’s side there were four generations of stolen family members.
My grandfather was Frank Kelgarrett, he was given the name Francis by the New Norcia monks and he was surrendered as a child, so called surrendered, he was taken by the monks, they had no option and then my grandfather was born with a traditional name out in the Victoria Plains and he was given the name Lewis or Loui by the New Norcia monks. He was given up as a child because really the Aboriginal people had no choice.
Then mother was taken in 1933 and she was sent to Moore River Native Settlement and later was the first of seven children sent to Sister Kate’s (Home) when it opened in Buckland Hill.
Then in 1958 myself and my two sisters and brother were taken while dad was in the army doing his armed services training. We were living in Point Samson, Dad had a job in Wittenoom and mum had a job. They took us from there while dad was away. We did not see mum and dad for 27 years after that.
Peter: And how did that removal occur, did some people just turn up in a car and take you off?
Sandra: The policeman came in his 4WD and handed mum papers, mum started crying (Sandra crying).
Peter: And I guess the process was that people hid or if they had time did they try and hide the children?
Sandra: Well mum had a job so we did not think they would come, well from what I can garner and after many, many years she would talk to me about it. She did not expect them to turn up because dad was in the army so she thought they would leave us alone, because they both had jobs.
Anyway the policeman came from Port Headland, from Roebourne and piled us in to the car and said would you like to go for a ride, and of course what kid wouldn't, so we were driving around and we got up the road and us kids were saying okay, we want to go back to mum now.
Peter: So you had nothing with you at all, no possessions of any kind?
Sandra: No, well, we did not know what was going on, they just took us. We were taken to Roebourne Hospital and I do not know why but we were sedated with ether. Then we were put into the Old Roebourne Jail in a cell together and the door was left open. So we did a ‘runner’ and were caught down the road by the policeman. He knew we were going home to mum. Then they locked us in a cell, we just had mattresses on the floor in the Roebourne Jail.
Sandra Hill and Peter Hylands are at Art Stage Singapore. In all the trauma, we should not forget what a significant artist Sandra has become.
Peter: Sandra, when we think about stolen generations of Aboriginal people in Australia can you just describe some of that history?
Sandra: Well, on my father’s side I am Wadandi from the West coast of the South-West corner of Western Australia and on my mother’s side I am Wilman, she is more into (what is now) the wheatbelt area. Both my parents were Nyoongars and on my mother’s side there were four generations of stolen family members.
My grandfather was Frank Kelgarrett, he was given the name Francis by the New Norcia monks and he was surrendered as a child, so called surrendered, he was taken by the monks, they had no option and then my grandfather was born with a traditional name out in the Victoria Plains and he was given the name Lewis or Loui by the New Norcia monks. He was given up as a child because really the Aboriginal people had no choice.
Then mother was taken in 1933 and she was sent to Moore River Native Settlement and later was the first of seven children sent to Sister Kate’s (Home) when it opened in Buckland Hill.
Then in 1958 myself and my two sisters and brother were taken while dad was in the army doing his armed services training. We were living in Point Samson, Dad had a job in Wittenoom and mum had a job. They took us from there while dad was away. We did not see mum and dad for 27 years after that.
Peter: And how did that removal occur, did some people just turn up in a car and take you off?
Sandra: The policeman came in his 4WD and handed mum papers, mum started crying (Sandra crying).
Peter: And I guess the process was that people hid or if they had time did they try and hide the children?
Sandra: Well mum had a job so we did not think they would come, well from what I can garner and after many, many years she would talk to me about it. She did not expect them to turn up because dad was in the army so she thought they would leave us alone, because they both had jobs.
Anyway the policeman came from Port Headland, from Roebourne and piled us in to the car and said would you like to go for a ride, and of course what kid wouldn't, so we were driving around and we got up the road and us kids were saying okay, we want to go back to mum now.
Peter: So you had nothing with you at all, no possessions of any kind?
Sandra: No, well, we did not know what was going on, they just took us. We were taken to Roebourne Hospital and I do not know why but we were sedated with ether. Then we were put into the Old Roebourne Jail in a cell together and the door was left open. So we did a ‘runner’ and were caught down the road by the policeman. He knew we were going home to mum. Then they locked us in a cell, we just had mattresses on the floor in the Roebourne Jail.
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