Lambethlad Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 I watched a film last night on DVD called "Oranges and Sunshine". Made by the producers of "The Kings Speech", it's subject is a sad, disturbing part of British Australian history. I shed a few tears. I was wondering if anyone else has heard of or seen this film. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LKC Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 Yes, I have. I have also read the book which the film is based on (Empty Cradles). I cried also, it is such a sad story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emmaroo Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 Yes seen and although sad not accurate and very badly acted I thought! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3FatCats Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 I have only seen the film and not read the book so can't comment if accurate or not, however, I thought the film was poignant and it certainly made me cry. At least it opens up the subject to people who may be ignorant to this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozzbound Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 We have seen it and I did not realise the amount of children shipped here without any knowledge of who they were. It had me in tears, those poor people looking for their families Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boganbear Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 I haven't seen it yet as the OH won't watch this type of thing. Having said that, my uncle is writing a book about how the children of unmarried mothers were forceably adopted at birth and taken into "care" in QLD in the early 20th century. This happened to his mother and from he has told me , its pretty harrowing as well and the autorities went to great lengths to make life difficult for mothers and children and did a similar cover up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
llessur Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 Saw this a few weeks ago - good film, poignant storyline. Well worth a watch I think... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starlight7 Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 I read the book recently. Very,very sad. Hope nothing like that ever, ever happens again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobj Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 Wrote about that sort of thing in 2009. An extract: "I don't think it's a matter of being responsible, more a matter of acknowledging the fact that some moronic group instituted the program in the first place. Cheers, Bobj. PS. There was a group of perhaps, 20 on the ship I was on in 1963. They were in the Dr. Bernado's scheme and the youngest of them, about 7 years old, had their name and destination address pinned to their jackets all the time." And, "In my early years in Western Australia, I was fortunate enough to meet and work with a few of those children who came over early on. Two great young blokes were, I kid you not, Rusty Gates and Dusty Rhodes...I often wonder what forks in the road they took. A couple I worked with on the Main Roads, one died of alcohol poisoning, the other shot himself. Both had been abused in their early youth. One from New Norcia...the second from Clontarf." Cheers, Bobj. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobj Posted December 28, 2013 Share Posted December 28, 2013 Oranges And Sunshine on Qld tv (Gem) tonight, if anyone wants to watch... Cheers, Bobj. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest40285 Posted December 28, 2013 Share Posted December 28, 2013 Read the book, but might look out for the dvd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lambethlad Posted December 28, 2013 Author Share Posted December 28, 2013 Oranges And Sunshine on Qld tv (Gem) tonight, if anyone wants to watch... Cheers, Bobj. It's also on GEM in Melbourne tonight at 8.30pm . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newjez Posted December 28, 2013 Share Posted December 28, 2013 Yes seen and although sad not accurate and very badly acted I thought! In what way? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobj Posted December 28, 2013 Share Posted December 28, 2013 Just so long as the thrust of the film is depicted, does it matter how bad the acting is? Cheers, Bobj. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VERYSTORMY Posted December 28, 2013 Share Posted December 28, 2013 In WA near Pinjarra is a place called Fairbridge. This was where a lot of the children were sent. It is still preserved today and is a interesting place to visit. As well as being a museum, it is now a training centre for young people, many of whom are from disadvantaged backgrounds. It is one of the charities I have raised funds for. I highly recommend a visit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobj Posted December 28, 2013 Share Posted December 28, 2013 David Hill, one time boss of ABC radio and television was one of these boys. He was at the Fairbridge Farm in Molong, NSW. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Hill_%28businessman%29 Cheers, Bobj. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roborac Posted December 29, 2013 Share Posted December 29, 2013 I have read the book and also watched the film, both very moving A few weeks ago with three friends visited the Melbourne museum and on the top floor saw a large section that dealt with these issues It had photographs, written messages from the children involved etc Before you entered that section there were warnings that you may find some of it distressing To all four of us it was distressing, especially when they had a section where people could leave comments and there were notes from people who had been involved I don't know how long the museum has had this display , even though it was a hard look it is worth a visit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rossmoyne Posted December 29, 2013 Share Posted December 29, 2013 Yes seen and although sad not accurate and very badly acted I thought! Hogwash! The film very closely followed the book which was very much a TRUE account of an outrageous miscarriage of justice. Margaret Humphreys is the author of the book and is a social worker from Nottingham who became involved when asked to investigate one of her clients claims that she had been shipped out to Australia as a child without family consent. Margaret was an advisor for the film and she ensured that the parts of the book that were translated to film, were portrayed accurately. The book being too long to use all the material, that which was chosen was done so to represent the truth of the disgraceful situation. The casting and acting in the film were brilliant. The whole situation is incredibly sad and many of the abused "children" are now part of the lawsuits against the various church organisations that perpetrated these atrocities in Australia and Britain. Until Margaret published her book "Empty Cradles" in 1994, this disgusting episode of British and Australian history had been hidden from public view. Margaret has devoted her life to bringing this travesty to justice and supporting the victims, and she has founded the Child Migrant Trust to do so. Before you make a throwaway comment about it being untrue, I suggest that you have a little google .... and read the book.... it is all true... yes it is unbearably sad and shouldn't have happened, but thank God for Margaret Humphreys for bringing to the attention of the public and campaigning the governments of both Britain and Australia to do something about it!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flag of convenience Posted December 29, 2013 Share Posted December 29, 2013 It's also on GEM in Melbourne tonight at 8.30pm . And in Perth. I take it Australia wide. I will record it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest40285 Posted December 29, 2013 Share Posted December 29, 2013 Just watched it, remember the book moving me, But the movie..... I dont think I have cried so hard in years,doesnt take much for me, also wont go into detail on here but bought up lots of old memories for me, great film though, someone earlier on here said the acting was crap, I thought it was great. Need a cuppa now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peccavi Posted December 29, 2013 Share Posted December 29, 2013 In WA near Pinjarra is a place called Fairbridge. This was where a lot of the children were sent. It is still preserved today and is a interesting place to visit. As well as being a museum, it is now a training centre for young people, many of whom are from disadvantaged backgrounds. It is one of the charities I have raised funds for. I highly recommend a visit. Latterly to 1980 I believe, the Fairbridge Society sponsored single parents to settle in Australia. They had Pinjarra, Draper Hall in Adelaide, and Tresca in Exeter Tasmania. Tresca closed in late '76. It would have been my choice. Fairbridge sponsored me. I am grateful to them, but that does not blind me to their former track record. Children were worked as 'slaves' at Pinjarra. The abuse at Norcia and Clontarf is also sickening. I read the story of one man who as a small boy was subjected to horrific sexual abuse at Clontarf. His childhood and that of the others there was effectively murdered, they were passed around as vessels of pleasure by Church/ Priest paedophiles. There is a statue of Father.....still? standing at the front of Clontarf. A vicious bestial man. I only wish someone with explosives had paid a visit to that statue. Hogwash! The film very closely followed the book which was very much a TRUE account of an outrageous miscarriage of justice. Margaret Humphreys is the author of the book and is a social worker from Nottingham who became involved when asked to investigate one of her clients claims that she had been shipped out to Australia as a child without family consent. Margaret was an advisor for the film and she ensured that the parts of the book that were translated to film, were portrayed accurately. The book being too long to use all the material, that which was chosen was done so to represent the truth of the disgraceful situation. The casting and acting in the film were brilliant. The whole situation is incredibly sad and many of the abused "children" are now part of the lawsuits against the various church organisations that perpetrated these atrocities in Australia and Britain. Until Margaret published her book "Empty Cradles" in 1994, this disgusting episode of British and Australian history had been hidden from public view. Margaret has devoted her life to bringing this travesty to justice and supporting the victims, and she has founded the Child Migrant Trust to do so. Before you make a throwaway comment about it being untrue, I suggest that you have a little google .... and read the book.... it is all true... yes it is unbearably sad and shouldn't have happened, but thank God for Margaret Humphreys for bringing to the attention of the public and campaigning the governments of both Britain and Australia to do something about it!! Well done! How anyone can disparage such horrendous historical endemic child abuse is beyond comprehension. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyHeart Posted December 29, 2013 Share Posted December 29, 2013 I just noticed its on tonight in Perth. Unfortunately son is engrossed in sharks tale!! I read the book last year after fil passed it on to me and thought it terribly sad. I would love to see the film...maybe I can buy a copy? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Counting Stars Posted December 29, 2013 Share Posted December 29, 2013 Really want to watch/read it x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BasiaUK Posted December 29, 2013 Share Posted December 29, 2013 It was on BBC2 in the UK about 3 weeks ago and was on the BBC iPlayer for a couple of weeks after that (unfortunately, not available now). I remember watching it a few years ago, not knowing about it at all, and thought it was a very good, but very sad film. I watched it again a few weeks ago and have since bought the book to read when I get a chance... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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