The project

In 2007, Roy Gray, the archivist at the Yarrabah Menmuny Museum, approached Kathleen Denigan with his idea to produce a book based on the oral history of elders.Roy, (with Darren Miller and Lyndal Thomas) had recorded and transcribed a series of oral histories in 1991. Many of the elders had passed on and Roy was determined to share and preserve their stories.

Most of the oral histories were similar, as many of the people’s experiences were similar. They had been removed as children from homes or employment, sent to the mission and placed in the dormitory. Because they were similar it was difficult to identify a smaller selection to research. Roy had recorded the stories of 28 elders. It would only be possible to research about 10 families in the time available to complete the project. There was no method applied in choosing which elders to write about, and no way of knowing what records may exist about individual removals to Yarrabah. Somehow the list was shortened.

As part of the project the Community and Personal History Unit (a Queensland Government unit) agreed to facilitate the archival research of the identified participants. Access to the majority of the records is restricted but after the necessary approvals were gained the records started to flow from the State Archives.

Even though it was a random sample of Aboriginal people selected, it was amazing that nearly all the files returned to the families, and then onto the author, were rich in their content and ability to reinforce the tragic and unjust story as told by the elders.