[From the National Library of Australia's Forgotten Australians and Former Child Migrants oral history project]
Natalia Josephs talks about her father Bruce Blyth: his background; his education; his advocacy work; community attitudes toward orphans and institutions like Bindoon, Tardan and Castledare; his life principles; his work with the Forgotten Australians/Child migrants; the children's stories; his belief in the cause; Lionel 'Geordie' Welsh's story, the abuse exposed ('Bindoon file'); 60 Minutes story; tracking the abuse and the movement of the brothers/offenders from one school to another; his book 'In the Shadow of the Cross'; the setting up Victims of Institutionalised Cruelty Exploitation and supporters (VOICES); confronting the church; her mother's story, her help and support of fathers work; her father's strength and focus; the process of healing associated with the VOICES meetings; taking the voice to the community, making accusations about the church; paedophiles; the tabling of a petition, signed by 30,000 people, demanding a judicial inquiry; the response of the Catholic church; the enquiry not taking place; the involvement of lawyers Slater and Gordon; compensation, the perpetrators and justice; her father's biggest achievement; what he would think of the project and where we are today, his hopes for the project and words to the interviewers and administrators of the project.
Prepared by: Debra Rosser
Created: 23 August 2012, Last modified: 8 December 2014