The President’s Pen 14th July 2016
Our guest speaker this week was Allen Edwards, talking about the Stolen Generation as experienced by his mother Avis Gale, who also attended the meeting.
According to Government policy of the day, all ‘half caste’ children of Aboriginal background were forcibly removed from their mothers by Government officials and placed in homes like Colebrook. Some were placed there by their traditional mothers or non-Indigenous fathers because one or both parents were unable to care for them.
Colebrook began as the United Aborigines Mission in 1924 in Dunijba (Oodnadatta) in South Australia and in 1926 transferred to Quorn in the Flinders Ranges, in the care of Sisters Ruby Hyde and Delia Rutter.
Avis was just seven days old when she was taken and placed in Colebrook Home, Eden Hills in South Australia.
Some of the better memories from those days included the fact that the sisters really did care for the children, giving them love and attention. Sister Hyde even made all of their uniforms by hand to ensure that they were well dressed.
The two Sisters were awarded MBE’s for their service to Aboriginal children in the homes. One of the children went on to become the first Aboriginal nurse, others went on to become kindergarten teachers and joined other professions
It was moved for the final time, in 1942 to Eden Hills where it remained until it closed in 1952. Sisters Hyde and Rutter left in 1952 to establish Tanderra.
After the Sisters left, It became a very strict environment with the children no longer receiving the care and attention that they had become used to. Most of the children were never reunited with their biological mothers. Although, Avis did eventually trace her family and met with her mother. Unfortunately, it was not an easy reconciliation. Avis now also speaks her native language and is an accomplished Aboriginal artist.
Avis ran away from Colebrook when she was thirteen and for many years was bitter about her experiences. As a consequence she found herself in trouble with authorities and spent some time in jail. However, Avis overcame those issues and went on to work in childcare, and later spent 25 years as a Hostel Manager at Karinga Hostel for Aboriginal Hostels Limited.
There is now a ‘Fountain of Tears’ memorial on a site near where the home once stood.
Allen mentioned that from the moment that his mother joined the Blackwood Reconciliation Group, he noticed a marked change in her attitude towards life, other people and her drive to advocate for reconciliation.
Allen then explained that although he is an accomplished didgeridoo player, he found it difficult initially, to get the breathing right. He has played the didgeridoo in country and western bands, mixing it also with trumpets and saxophones and played with Goanna, Archie Roach and others.
He met his wife in Warnabool while working in a high school as an Aboriginal Culture teacher. He returned to Adelaide in 1999 and now lives in Murray Bridge with his son. His daughter lives with her mother in Mt. Gambier.
Allen is proud to say that the bands that he originally played with in Warnabool have now formed the basis of what is now a three-day music festival.
Allen playing the didgeridoo Allen with his mother Avis
