Telling Our Stories - Our Stolen Generations (Aunty Julie Black)

Summary

Julie Dolores Black, a 64-year-old Aboriginal woman, shares her heartbreaking story of being taken from her family as a child and adopted by a non-Indigenous family. She recounts her early years marked by abuse and neglect, including being locked in an outside toilet for hours. Despite the hardships, Julie's spirit remained unbroken as she longed for her real family. Her journey of self-discovery led her to reconnect with her Aboriginal roots and find her biological mother, ultimately healing her soul and embracing her true identity.

Takeaways

• 👶 Julie Dolores Black, a member of the Stolen Generation, was taken from her family at a young age.
• 🎉 She was initially given the nickname Siri Kookaburra by her mother due to her big smile at birth.
• 🏠 An adoptive family took her in for Christmas when she was four, and she ended up being raised by them.
• 🔐 She experienced abuse, including being locked in an outside toilet for extended periods.
• 🐸 She was subjected to derogatory comments and physical punishment, which were dismissed by her welfare officer.
• 🏥 Despite her desire to draw and paint, she was told she would become a nurse, aligning with societal expectations for her.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 She was falsely told that she was a product of rape, which affected her sense of self-worth.
• 🎨 In Taree, she observed the strong bonds and love within Aboriginal families, which contrasted with her own upbringing.
• 🗓️ On her 25th birthday, she embarked on a journey to find her biological mother, which led her to Wall Canyon.
• 🤝 She was reunited with her mother, an emotional and healing moment that connected her with her Aboriginal heritage.
• ❤️ Being with her own 'mob' or community provided a sense of belonging and helped heal her 'Aboriginal soul'.

Q & A

What is the name given to Julie by her adoptive family?

Julie Dolores Black.

What nickname did Julie's biological mother give her at birth?

Siri Kookaburra.

Why was Julie adopted by a family in Wollongong?

She was adopted because there was no one to look after her, and the family had already adopted another Aboriginal girl.

What was the punishment Julie experienced at her adoptive home?

She was locked in an outside dunny (outhouse) for hours at a time.

What was the name of Julie's teddy bear that survived her childhood?

Teddy.

What did Julie's welfare officer say when she reported being flogged?

The welfare officer said that if Julie was being flogged, she deserved it and that she was a 'little black savage' who should be educated whether she wanted to or not.

What was Julie told about her parents and her conception?

Julie was told that her father was an old man who raped her mother, and she was born out of rape.

What did Julie find out later about her biological parents?

Julie discovered that her parents were young and in love, and her conception was not a result of rape.

What was the expectation for Julie's future career?

She was expected to become a nurse, despite her desire to draw and paint.

How did Julie find her biological mother?

On her 25th birthday, with the help of new friends, Julie went to Wall Canyon and found her mother, Patsy Blackens.

What did Julie feel when she was with her Aboriginal family?

Julie felt a sense of belonging and healing for her Aboriginal soul when she was with her own mob (family).

Outlines

00:00

😢 Struggles of a Stolen Generation Child

Julie Dolores Black, a member of the Stolen Generation, shares her story of being taken from her family at a young age. She was given the name Siri Kookaburra by her mother, who noticed her big smile at birth. Adopted by a family in Wollongong, she faced abuse and neglect, including being locked in an outdoor toilet for extended periods. Despite the hardships, her teddy bear, Teddy, was a source of comfort. She was told she was the product of rape and was raised with the expectation to become a nurse, despite her own desires to draw and paint. Her search for her identity led her to Taree, where she began to learn about her Aboriginal heritage and the importance of family and community.

05:01

🤗 Reunion with Birth Mother

In the second paragraph, Julie Dolores Black describes her emotional reunion with her birth mother, Patsy. On her 25th birthday, she was taken to Wall Canyon, where she was shocked to find her mother, Patsy, alive and well. The moment of recognition and the subsequent embrace signify a profound healing for Julie, as she reconnects with her roots and experiences the love and support of her Aboriginal family. This reunion is a pivotal moment in Julie's life, as it brings her a sense of belonging and the realization of the importance of one's own 'mob' in healing the soul.

Keywords

💡Stolen Generation

The 'Stolen Generation' refers to the children of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent who were forcibly removed from their families by the Australian government's assimilation policies between the 1900s and 1970s. The speaker, Julie Dolores Black, identifies herself as part of this group, highlighting the historical trauma and forced separation from her family and culture.

💡Buckety Woman

In Aboriginal Australian culture, a 'buckety woman' is a term used to describe an elderly woman. The speaker uses this term to describe herself, indicating her age and cultural identity, and it is a term of respect within her community.

💡Kookaburra

The kookaburra is a bird native to Australia, known for its distinctive laughing call. Julie's mother called her 'Siri Kookaburra' because she was born smiling, which is a beautiful metaphor for her initial disposition and the contrast with her later experiences.

💡Adoption

Adoption in this context refers to the forced removal of Aboriginal children from their families and their placement with non-Indigenous families, often with the intention of assimilating them into white Australian society. Julie's narrative includes her experience of being adopted and the subsequent impact on her identity and well-being.

💡Outside Dunny

An 'outside dunny' is an outdoor toilet, often a small shed containing a toilet. Julie recounts being locked in such a place as a form of punishment, which is indicative of the harsh and dehumanizing treatment she faced in her adoptive home.

💡Teddy Bear

Teddy bears are soft toys often associated with childhood comfort and companionship. In Julie's story, her teddy bear 'Teddy' is her best friend and a symbol of her innocence and the childhood she was robbed of due to the trauma she experienced.

💡Welfare Officer

A welfare officer is typically a government official responsible for the well-being of children. In Julie's account, the welfare officer's dismissive response to her reports of abuse reflects the systemic indifference and racism that contributed to the suffering of the Stolen Generation.

💡Education

Education is a recurring theme in Julie's narrative, where it is presented as a tool for assimilation rather than empowerment. She was told she would become a nurse, disregarding her own desires to draw and paint, illustrating the imposed expectations and loss of personal agency.

💡Rape Narrative

The 'rape narrative' refers to the false story told to Julie that her parents' relationship was non-consensual, which was used to devalue her existence and justify her removal from her family. This narrative is a form of psychological abuse and part of the broader dehumanization of Aboriginal people.

💡Aboriginal Soul

The 'Aboriginal soul' is a concept that encapsulates the spiritual and cultural essence of Aboriginal people. Julie's reunion with her biological mother and her Aboriginal community is described as healing for her 'Aboriginal soul,' signifying the importance of cultural connection and identity in overcoming trauma.

💡Mob

In Aboriginal Australian English, 'mob' refers to a group of people, often one's family or community. Julie's use of the term 'mob' when talking about her Aboriginal family and community underscores the importance of kinship and belonging in Aboriginal culture.

Highlights

Julie Dolores Black, a 64-year-old woman, shares her story of being part of the 'stolen generation'.

Julie's mother named her 'Siri Kookaburra' due to her big smile at birth.

At four years old, Julie was adopted by a lady in Wollongong for Christmas.

Julie recalls being locked in an outside toilet as punishment.

Her teddy bear, 'Teddy', was her only comfort during her time in the 'dunny'.

Julie's welfare officer dismissed her claims of abuse, calling her a 'little black savage'.

She was told she would become a nurse despite her desire to draw and paint.

Julie was falsely told her father was an old man who raped her mother.

Discovering the truth about her parents' loving relationship.

Moving to Taree and realizing the importance of Aboriginal culture and family.

On her 25th birthday, Julie embarked on a journey to find her mother.

The emotional reunion with her mother, Patsy Black, in Wall Canyon.

The significance of being with her 'own mob' for healing her Aboriginal soul.

Julie's story highlights the resilience and strength of the stolen generation.

The importance of identity and belonging in Julie's journey of self-discovery.

The impact of intergenerational trauma and the quest for healing.

Transcripts

my name is

julie dolores black and 64

year old buckety woman of the stolen

generation

mummy said i i would i had a big laugh

with a big smile on my face

when i was born she said i didn't cry

she said i had a big smile and she said

oh this baby's gonna laugh

so she called me siri kookaburra so they

ended up when they took me they called

me

julie dolores black then

this lady that had already adopted a

aboriginal girl in wollongong

they asked her if they'd she'd take me

for

christmas because um nobody was there to

look after me

and that and she she said yeah and of

course when you're

little and black you know they all think

you're cute and everything else so

you know they she took me then and

decided to keep me from the age of four

um i was locked in the outside dunny

i remember i was playing that day

with my teddy bears and stuff and

and she yanked me out because it was

starting to rain and yanked me

up the stairs and i was crying and

that i wanted to go and save my teddy

bears

so the water was coming down the drain

all on top of them

and so she shoved me down there i picked

them all up and they fell apart in the

ends and

i i think that upset her and

as she locked me in the toilet and and

that dunny old outside dunny

and then that was the start of it all

i'd be locked in there for hours

different days you know different times

the father teddy he survived he was my

best friend

and he he i used to cry to him

and we'd say a prayer that my real mum

come and get me take me home

yeah no i didn't want to be there

you know then if she heard me crying

and i'd get frogs and my welfare officer

i told her that i was getting flogged

and that and she said oh well if you're

getting flogged

then you deserve it worry you little

black savages

should have been taken and flogged

you're going to be educated whether you

want to be or not

i used to cop that all the time you're

going to be

you're going to be educated you're going

to be

who we want you to be and of course we

live behind the wollongong hospital and

i was always told since i was a kid

that's what i'm going to be

you're going to be a nurse that's what

you're going to be i wanted to draw and

paint

you know no

i had to be a nurse yeah

they told me that my father was an

old man who raped my mother

and i was born out of rape so i wasn't

worth much

i found out that that wasn't right

my mother and father were just two

little kids they loved

each other and they got up to no good

and i was conceived

well i've come to taree uh

i didn't know anything about aboriginal

anything and now every morning i'd sit

out on the front doorstep and

watch everybody you know and i think oh

it's unreal you know they really care

about the kids

although that's wrong what they said

they do love their kids and they do love

each other

and they're always laughing and

and i met these people and i told them

about that i

didn't know who my mother was and they

were shocked they said well come on then

it was my 25th birthday

and they took me to wall canyon on the

on the trip

because uh on my birth certificate

as mummy's name patsy's black patchy

black

and it just has will kenya there so we

just took a stab at that

thinking wonder if she's still there

and um and when i

got out of the car and there was

aboriginal people in the streets and

they were yelling at patsy

and i oh where that where that's

my mum oh we thought you were patsy

oh well i knew straight away they took

me out the back of the malley

at the back of all canyon and there she

was

and then she came out and i said oh

are you patsy blackens you guys not

i'm your mom i'm your mommy

and she give me a big cuddle

let's cuddle what else is all the baby

you know you can be with any black

fellas and they're

all we're all brothers and sisters and

family

and then and you feel good but when

you're with your own mob

that's what heals your aboriginal soul