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Inside: Life in Children's Homes and Institutions

WARNING: This exhibition contains confronting and disturbing stories and images, and names and images of deceased people. It may not be suitable for children under 15 years.


A stuffed toy bear with pink fabric on the front and yello-brown fabric on the rear. The bear's nose is black.
Courtesy: Jeanette Blick.

Inside: Life in Children's Homes and Institutions featured the words, voices and objects of the Forgotten Australians, Former Child Migrants and those who experienced institutional care as children.

About half a million children spent time in children's homes and institutions, mostly run by state governments, charities and churches from the 1920s to the 1980s.

Inside examined how children were committed to 'care', what it was like to grow up on the inside, life on the outside and reactions to the Australian Government's 2009 National Apology to Forgotten Australians and Former Child Migrants.

Inside provided a chance for all Australians to understand something of a history that affected so many people and was hidden for so long.

Read the Inside blog

Exhibition opening

Inside was launched at the National Museum in Canberra on 15 November 2011.

 

audio_w15 Listen to the audio of the Inside exhibition launch

Read the transcript of the Inside exhibition launch

Inside was on show at the National Museum of Australia until 26 February 2012 in the Studio Gallery.


Supported by the Australian Government Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs.

Banner image: Badges, courtesy Care Leavers Australia Network (CLAN).