Denis Hayden interviewed by Criena Fitzgerald in the Forgotten Australians and Former Child Migrants oral history project (2011)

From

2011

To

2011

Website

http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-219446961/listen

Reference No

5713015

Legal Status

National Library of Australia Bib ID

[From the National Library of Australia's Forgotten Australians and Former Child Migrants oral history project]

Denis Hayden, born in 1953, discusses his family background and early memories; being placed in foster care in Capel, W.A.; his foster parents; other boys; the house and sleeping arrangements; food and hunger; chores; his relationship with his brother; punishments and abuse; his love of schooling and reading; friends and teachers; neighbours; visits from Child Welfare; holidays; Christmases; smoking; reporting his mistreatment; running away from care; Longmore Detention Centre; the kindness of staff at Longmore; learning to cook; Mt Lawley Receiving Home; daily routine and chores; food; the dormitory; injury and abuse; his relationship with girls; runaways; being placed with foster families; being adopted; learning about farm work; leaving school; various employments; visiting Perth.

Hayden discusses relationships and marriages; meeting his biological parents; children and parenting; employment as a police officer (1976); experiences from his career as a police officer; traffic policing and the Breath Analysis Unit; police corruption; job stressors and dangers; divorce and its impact on his children; buying land; accidents and injuries; issues in regard to compensation and support; beginning to discuss his childhood with others; obtaining his personal records; gardening; working for the Police Union; working of Internal Affairs; police welfare and integrity; working as a Local Councillor; his feelings about the Apology; his desire to improve the lives of children; the ongoing impact of his childhood experiences; his support network and friends; religion and his philosophies on life.