Apology to the Forgotten children

Right now I am listening to Kevin Rudd & Malcolm Turnbull delivering the Nation’s apology to those children who were placed in the custody of Orphanages, Charity organisations, and other institutions in the 20th century – and to the children sent out from Britain, Ireland and Malta between 1948 and 1974 (and some before that as well.)

In the early part of the last century my own grand-father was placed in the care of the Salvo’s as a child born out of wedlock, as a baby and was transferred as a child of 4 to Eden Park, where he lived and worked until he was 14 and deemed “old enough to care for himself”.  If he hadn’t had the strength of character and forebearance that he did – none of my siblings or I, or indeed our beloved mother would have ever existed.

I just want to say on behalf of the friends I had as a child, who were placed in the “care” of the Salvation Army Home at Wistow – Eden Park – and on behalf of my dearly loved grandfather – thank you gentlemen, this apology has been a long time coming.