Invisibilising the Orphans

History stands on three legs: material, documentary, and intangible – the stories and ways of behaving that make up who we, the people, really are. But what if those voices have been silenced, the records lost, and the buildings turned into something more profitable?

Once we were proud of our British middle class ability to solve social problems by recycling them through an institution - take in an orphan or abandoned child and turn them into a docile Christian servant, not overly educated. Large buildings - the Orphan Schools of Parramatta, Randwick Home for Destitute Children, Biloela Industrial School on Cockatoo Island - dominated the landscape. But when these orphanages became a source of shame for how we had treated the most vulnerable they disappeared from view, repurposed or razed. When the objects disappeared then the stories were silenced and the children also became invisible.

Jo Henwood shares stories of the noble public intentions, the less noble realities, and the struggles and resilience of the survivors.

Speaker Bio:

Jo Henwood has been a Tour Guide since 1998, working primarily as a site Guide and Education Officer in many heritage sites around Sydney, building a rich understanding of Sydney’s history and culture, particularly around the Harbour.

She is an Accredited Storyteller with the NSW Storytelling Guild and a member of the International Museum Theatre Alliance: Asia Pacific, Museums Australia, and Australian Folklore Network. She is co-founder of the Australian Fairy Tale Society.

Her qualifications include BA (Library Science), Tour Guiding Cert III, Grad Dip Museum Studies, Grad Cert Gifted Ed, M. Cultural Heritage.

Presented by History Illuminated.

Bookings essential.

Gold coin on entry.

For the safety and well-being of all participants safe-distancing and social gathering measures will be practiced and contact details for traceability in the future will be kept. All attendees will be reminded to follow safe physical distancing and health advice by keeping 1.5m apart, maintaining personal hygiene by regularly washing hands, and not attending if they feel unwell.