1
of
1
The Forgotten Children
Fairbridge Farm School and its Betrayal of Britain's Child Migrants to Australia
Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.
Check link for latest rating. ( 310 ratings, 35 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still
learning, it may not be perfect - your
feedback is welcome!
Summary
Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$3000
$3299
Elsewhere:
Unit price
/
Unavailable
AVAILABLE WITH SUPPLIER
Ships from our Auckland warehouse within 4-6 weeks
Found a better price? Request a price match
The Forgotten Children
$3000
$3299
Elsewhere:
Unit price
/
Unavailable
Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?
During the 38 years the school in Molong was open, thousands of parents were persuaded to sign over legal guardianship of their children to Fairbridge to solve the problem of child poverty in the poor regions of Britain while populating the colony. Now many of these children have decided to speak out about the years of misery.
B-format of one of 2007's Australian non-fiction bestsellers.
Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and
still learning, it may not be perfect - your
feedback is welcome!
Description
In 1959, David Hill's mother, a poor single parent living in England, reluctantly decided to send her sons to Fairbridge Farm School in New South Wales, where she was led to believe they would receive a good education and a better life.
David was fortunate; his mother was able to follow him out to Australia. However, for most children, the reality was shockingly different. From 1938 to 1974, thousands of parents were persuaded to sign over legal guardianship of their children to Fairbridge to address child poverty in Britain while also populating the colony. Now, many of those children have decided to speak out.
Physical and sexual abuse was not uncommon. Loneliness was rife. Food was often inedible, and the standard of education was appalling. Here, for the first time, is the story of the lives of the Fairbridge children, from the bizarre luxury of the voyage out to Australia to the harsh reality of the first days there; from the crushing daily routine to stolen moments of freedom, and the struggle that defined life after leaving the school.
This remarkable book, The Forgotten Children, is both a tribute to the children who were betrayed by an ideal that went terribly awry and a compelling account of an extraordinary chapter in history.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781741666144
Publisher: Random House Australia
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 01 April 2008
Country: Australia
Imprint: William Heinemann Australia
Audience: General / adult, Tertiary education
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 25.0mm
Width: 128.0mm
Height: 194.0mm
Weight: 310g
Pages: 384
About the Author
During his remarkable career, DAVID HILL has been Chairman, then Managing Director of the ABC, Chairman of the Australian Football Association, Chief Executive and Director of the State Rail Authority NSW and Chairman of Sydney Water Corporation and Chairman of CREATE - a national organisation responsible for representing the interests of young people and children in institutional care. He is the author of one previous book, the bestselling THE FORGOTTEN CHILDREN (Random House, 2007). He lives in Sydney.
Also by David Hill
View all-
Mother of the Nation
Meet Dame Whina Cooper, the kuia who championed MΔori rights and women's rights and led a famous hΔ«koi for positive change. The true story of one of Aotearoa New Zealand's most exceptional leaders and a courageous wahine toa, who united thousands of MΔori and PΔkehΔ to address injustices, and whose mana and determination continue to inspire us today. David Hill's...Hardback$1999Elsewhere:$2500Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Hero of the Sea
Meet Peter Blake, the famous New Zealand yachtsman, who won the world's most famous yacht races and worked to help save the world's precious waterways. A stunning biographical picture book for young readers about Sir Peter Blake, world-renowned New Zealand yachtsman, adventurer, and environmentalist. "Remember," he wrote, "this is the most beautiful world, and it's the only one we've got."...Hardback$1999Elsewhere:$2500Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Te Whaea o te Motu
Meet Dame Whina Cooper, the kuia who championed MΔori rights, women's rights, and led a famous hΔ«koi for positive change - te reo MΔori edition of Mother of the Nation, translated by Stacey Morrison. A MΔori-language, illustrated true story for children about Dame Whina Cooper, one of Aotearoa New Zealand's most exceptional leaders - a courageous and outspoken wahine toa...Hardback$2200Elsewhere:$2500Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Dinosaur Hunter
Meet Joan Wiffen, a super-determined, self-taught palaeontologist, and join her on the hunt for the fossils that will prove New Zealand once had dinosaurs. The award-winning true story of science superstar Joan Wiffen, whose fossil discoveries proved that dinosaurs lived in ancient New Zealand. Once there was a clever girl who liked searching for interesting things on the ground. She...Hardback$1999Elsewhere:$2500Unit price /UnavailableBackorderShips mid August -
Sky High
Meet Jean Batten, the brave, trail-blazing and glamorous aviator, who strove to set new records in death-defying solo flights across the world. Brave, trail-blazing and glamorous, this stunning picture book tells the true story of how Jean Batten became an international superstar for her solo flights across the world. The little plane has been flying across the sea for eight...Hardback$2500Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
First to the Top
Meet Sir Edmund Hillary, a shy but determined beekeeper from New Zealand who dreamed of being the first person to climb to the summit of Mt Everest, the world's tallest mountain. First to the Top, by David Hill and Phoebe Morris, is an award-winning picture book that tells the story of Sir Ed and his climb to the top of...Hardback$2500Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Finding
Finding by David Hill is an exciting novel for intermediate readers, tracing the fortunes of two New Zealand families over seven generations. The story navigates through wars, depressions, disasters, protest, and social change, beautifully penned by a master storyteller. Follow the journeys of two families as they experience triumphs and disasters, losses and discoveries. This enthralling novel by the bestselling...Paperback$2200Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
See Ya, Simon
See Ya, Simon is the story of a typical teenager named Simon, who enjoys girls, weekends, and playing practical jokes. However, Simon is different in one significant wayβhe has muscular dystrophy, is in a wheelchair, and does not have long to live. The tale is narrated by Simon's best friend, Nathan. This narrative is funny, moving, and devastatingly honest, capturing...Paperback$2000Elsewhere:$2200Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Speed King
Meet Burt Munro, an unknown, elderly New Zealander whose obsession with setting a world land-speed record at Bonneville on his ancient Indian motorcycle made him a Kiwi legend. In 1967 an unknown, elderly New Zealander and his ancient Indian motorcycle set a world land-speed record at Bonneville. The man was Burt Munro, and he became a Kiwi legend. How did...Hardback$2500Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Reckoning
The story of how David Hill and the other Forgotten Children took on the institutions that tried to break them - and won. The Forgotten Children was David Hill's heartbreaking account of the abuse that he and other 'orphans of empire' survived at the Fairbridge Farm School in New South Wales. Part memoir, part oral history, the book became a...Paperback$4000Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Convict Colony
The British plan to settle Australia was a high-risk venture. We now take it for granted that the first colony was the basis of one of the most successful nations in the world today. But in truth, the New World of the 18th century was dotted with failed colonies, and New South Wales nearly joined them. The motley crew of...Paperback$3999Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Taking the Lead
Meet Jacinda Ardern, the Prime Minister of New Zealand, who hopes the things she's done will help everyone, especially children, to believe that they can do great things too. An inspiring illustrated story for children about Jacinda Ardern, and her meteoric rise to become the world's youngest female leader. Nobody is too young to start changing the world. When Jacinda...Hardback$1999Elsewhere:$2500Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow
More from Biography & Memoir
View all-
This Angry Pen of Mine
This Angry Pen of Mine by Layne Staley invites you to dive into the untold creative world of Layne Staley, the legendary voice behind Alice in Chains. This extraordinary collection showcases his handwritten lyrics, deeply personal poetry, stunning original artwork, rare photos, fan tributes, and so much more. Step into the world of Layne Staley like never before. For the...Hardback$7299Elsewhere:$8999Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
New ReleaseFamesick
Chronicling the tumultuous decade between the premiere of Girls to her 2021 shotgunΒ wedding (minus the baby, because she has no uterus), Lena Dunham takes us through herΒ journey with her trademark mix of humor, unsparing honesty, and keen eye for detail. We peek behind the scenes - of her work, her family, her relationships, and her battle to reclaim her body...Paperback$3299Elsewhere:$3500Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
New ReleaseDogs, Boys and Other Things I've Cried About
From the social media superstar behind @SimonSits, Isabel Klee--known for her heartwarming tales of dog rescue--comes an utterly winning memoir about a twentysomething woman's search for true love in New York City and the dogs who helped her find it. A Jersey girl by birth, Isabel Klee had always wanted to live in New York City. At age 20, she...Paperback$3299Elsewhere:$3999Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Stakes
Read our interview with author Noelle McCarthy! A darkly funny, sparkling follow-up to the authorβs bestselling memoirΒ Grand. You have to invite him in. You have to want the vampireβs badness in the house with you. Growing up in Catholic Ireland, Noelle McCarthy is captivated by Bram StokerβsΒ Dracula. The vampire is a risk-free fantasy, a suave alternative to the fraught realities...Paperback$3199Elsewhere:$4000Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
New ReleaseBuilt for This
Raised among strong women, butcher's benches, and hard ideas about what men are meant to be, Brad Poulter grows up knowing he's different long before he has the words for it. But in late '90s small-town New Zealand, 'different' isn't discussed, it's managed. Joining the Royal New Zealand Navy offers escape, certainty, and belonging. The rules are clear, the uniform...Paperback$3199Elsewhere:$3799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Even the Good Girls Will Cry
Thanks to a thrown beer bottle and a fan letter to a P.O. box, Melissa Auf der Maur's first band scored an opening slot for the Smashing Pumpkins in her bohemian home town, Montreal. Sensing Melissa's talent, Billy Corgan recommended her to Courtney Love. Whisked from her local scene, Melissa joined Hole just after the deaths of Kurt Cobain and...Paperback$3199Elsewhere:$3999Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
New ReleaseAn Ocean and a Day
An utterly riveting, moving and poignant memoir of grief and loss that will speak to anyone who's ever lost someone they love. An Ocean and a Day is Hannah Richell's personal account of losing her husband, Matt, in a surfing accident on Tamarama beach in 2014. It is the story of the grief journey she travelled over the first two...Paperback$3199Elsewhere:$3799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
New ReleaseA Place to Stand
A Place to Stand by Clare Ward is a profound memoir that delves into the life of a country doctor living and working in the Hokianga Harbour area in the far north of Aotearoa New Zealand. This region is sparsely populated and poses numerous health challenges. This thoughtful account details Clareβs thirty-year career, highlighting the people she works with and...Hardback$3199Elsewhere:$3799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Rule of Lies
Written with all the pace and energy of a John Grisham novel β¦ An incredible true story and a great read! BILL BROWDER, author of Red Notice and Freezing Order An American lawyerβs brilliant, propulsive story of witnessing and playing a part in the transformation of Russia under Yeltsin and Putin. A true tale of fascinating personalities, criminal intrigue, harrowing...Paperback$2999Elsewhere:$3799Unit price /UnavailableBackorderShips late August -
New ReleaseRory
TheΒ New York TimesΒ bestseller The #1Β Irish TimesΒ bestseller The definitive biography of Rory McIlroy, the most important, popular and confounding player of the post-Tiger era. Rory McIlroy contains multitudes. The child of a working-class family from a small town in a war-torn homeland now commutes to work in his own private jet and counts billionaires as confidants. He can overwhelm a golf...Paperback$3699Elsewhere:$4199Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
New ReleaseTe Kaikaukau | The Swimmer
Novelist, memoirist and playwright Witi Ihimaera β author of Pounamu, Pounamu and The Whale Rider β decided, at the age of eighty, to dive back into the water and spend a year full-time at Te WΔnanga Takiura, immersing himself in his own language, in te reo MΔori. This book tells the story of this kaikaukau, this swimmer, and his year...Paperback$3500Elsewhere:$4500Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
New ReleaseThis Is Me: A Reckoning
This is a searingly honest and moving memoir from double Golden Globe-nominatedactress Hayden Panettiere. Hayden Panettiere has been in front of the camera since before she could talk. She roseto stardom typecasted as Hollywood's blonde girl next door. As a young celebrity,naysayers were certain she would crash and burn. Not one to disappoint, she did.Hayden Panettiere's irreverent memoir satisfies our...Paperback$3200Elsewhere:$3999Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow
Why buy from us?
Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!
Service & Delivery
Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.
Auckland Bookstore
We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.
Our Gifting Service
Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.
