Welcome to CLAN - Care Leavers Australia Network
CLAN is happy to announce that from 01/02/10 there will be a counsellor, Natalie, at the CLAN office for ALL Care Leavers. Please ring the CLAN office to make an appointment for either Monday or Friday for telephone or face to face counselling. Please note that you do not need to be a member of CLAN for the counselling service ------------------------------------------ CLAN is approaching it's 10 year Anniversary and will be celebrating this wonderful achievement on Saturday 3rd and Sunday 4th July 2010. Watch this space for further details of the celebration. ------------------------------------------ CLAN now has over 900 members! ------------------------------------------ CLAN is gathering information for a booklet and is asking for reactions after the Federal Apology by Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd and Opposition Leader, Malcolm Turnbull. Contact CLAN on 1800 008 774 or email support@clan.org.au Tell us how you feel ------------------------------------------ Respond to our survey asking: "Do you want the Churches and Charities to be made accountable and provide a National Apology to all Care Leavers, similar to the National Apology by Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd?" ------------------------------------------
Thank you for all the tireless efforts and support to all CLAN members and its supporters, with special thanks to Former Senator Andrew Murray, Richard Marles MP- Member for Corio, Jason Clare MP - Member for Blaxland, Jenny Macklin - Minister for Children, Senator Claire Moore, Senator Gary Humphries, Steve Irons MP – Member for Swan. Visit the Thank You page on the on the menu on the left to see a list of the postal addresses to send thank you cards to our wonderful supporters.
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Care Leavers Australia Network (CLAN) is a support and advocacy group for people brought up in care away from their family as state wards or Home children raised in Children's Homes, orphanages or other institutions, or in foster care. CLAN is also for anyone who has a close family member who was placed in "care".
Many of these people are now middle-aged or older but still carry the burden of unresolved issues from this past. Our aim is to raise community awareness of these issues, and to campaign for government assistance to redress them. CLAN welcomes everyone who has been affected by the "care" system, regardless of your background or heritage - we are here to help.
Contact CLAN on 9709 4520 or 0425-204-747 or email us at support@clan.org.au. Care Leavers who grew up in New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia, Western Australia, Queensland and the ACT, and who still live in the state, can contact CLAN free on 1800-008-774.
CLAN welcomes and needs donations, and all money received helps us to continue providing this essential service to all care leavers. All donations over $2 are tax-deductable. If you would like to make a donation, please send a cheque or money order to CLAN Inc, PO Box 164 Georges Hall, NSW, 2198. We are also very happy to receive gifts of stamps.
CLAN News Flash!
Mother inconsolable at loss of daughtersJulie Briggs, Senior News , February 2010 THE second anniversary of Prime Minister Kevin Rudds apology to the Stolen Generations on February 13, 2008, is a special day for 82-year-old Yorta Yorta elder Cedric Briggs, of Narrandera in NSW. more ... |
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Media Articles - Posted 09/02/2010 |
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Belated sorry to stolen boys Herald Sun , 3rd February 2010 THE last two British children sent to Australia under a controversial emigration program have finally received an official apology from officials who arranged their move. more ... |
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Media Articles - Posted 09/02/2010 |
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Death of George Hanlon Herald Sun , 2nd February 2010 A CLAN member has posted an obituary in the Herald Sun of the death of George Hanlon. more ... |
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Media Articles - Posted 09/02/2010 |
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CLAN has memory books till the end of February CLAN has the memory books from the National Apology till the end of February. There are two books; one for Forgotten Australians and the other for former Child Migrants. Come visit the CLAN office to sign them. |
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CLAN News Flash - Posted 09/02/2010 |
Sent to Australia 50 yrs ago: SorryMark Bode, Ballina Shire Advocate , 3rd February 2010 HONORIA Goldberg will travel to London later this month to get an apology from the British government that has been more than five decades coming. more ... |
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Media Articles - Posted 05/02/2010 |
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Three women accused of catalogue of abuse at Catholic girls school Angus Howarth, Scotsman.com , 4th February 2010 THREE women have appeared in court charged with committing a string of offences against young girls in their care while at a Scottish approved school run by nuns in the 1970s. more ... |
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Media Articles - Posted 05/02/2010 |
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Finally, an apology to the last two boys forcibly sent to live in Australia 39 years ago Luke Salkeld, BBC UK News , 2nd February 2010 Until the the practice was banned in the 1960s, more than 130,000 British children were sent to Australia to start new lives without their parents. more ... |
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Media Articles - Posted 03/02/2010 |
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Premier to apologise and offer $9 million to 'Forgotten Australians' Premier Nathan Rees, NSW Government , 19th September 2009 With the Premier's apology on the 19th September, during the healing service and memorial unveiling for NSW careleavers, Premier Nathan Rees has also announced a $9 million funding boost for forgotten Australians. Click on the PDF link to download the NSW Government's Press Release on the funding boost. more ... |
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| » Click here to download PDF | Press Releases - Posted 01/02/2010 |
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Barnados orphans in Jersey before going to Australia BBC UK News , 27th January 2010 In 2009 UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown apologised for the governments role in sending thousands of children to Australia during the 20th century. more ... |
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Media Articles - Posted 01/02/2010 |
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Australians to learn of their convict ancestry as details of people sent down under 200 years ago are released Richard Shears, Daily Mail , 25th January 2010 The dark details of their family histories are to be revealed to thousands of Australians this week following the release of details of the convicts Britain sent to the new colony more than 200 years ago. more ... |
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Media Articles - Posted 28/01/2010 |
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CLANs submission into the future of Public Housing in Victoria , 28th January 2010 CLAN has submitted its paper into the Adequacy and Future Directoins of Public Housing in Victoria. Special thanks to CLAN Vice-President, Frank Golding for his efforts in creating and writing the submission. Click on the PDF link to view the CLAN's submission. more ... |
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| » Click here to download PDF | CLAN News Flash - Posted 28/01/2010 |
Blooms for the Forgotten ChildrenPatrick McDonald, Adelaide Advertiser , 5th December 2009 A series of stainless wild daisies will be built in parklands next to the Womens and Childrens Hospital as a memorial to the Forgotten Australians. more ... |
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Media Articles - Posted 28/01/2010 |
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Survey Results: Do you want the Churches and Charities to be made accountable and provide a National Apology to all Care Leavers, similar to the National Apology by Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd? , 27th January 2010 Last year Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd made an official apology to all Care Leavers and CLAN asked if the churches and charities should be made accountable and offer a national apology similar to the federal apology by Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd. more ... |
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| » Click here to download PDF | CLAN News Flash - Posted 27/01/2010 |
Do you know who this is?, 27th January 2010 CLAN retrieved a photo from an antique store with a child on a rocking horse. Does anyone have any information about who the child is or where the photo was taken? more ... |
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Latest CLAN News - Posted 27/01/2010 |
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Appeal Rights for Redress Payouts Robert Taylor, The West Australian , 11th January 2010 Former State wards unhappy with their compensation payout from the Barnett Government under the controversial Redress program will be able to appeal to the WA Ombudsman, Community Services Minister Robyn McSweeney said yesterday. more ... |
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Media Articles - Posted 27/01/2010 |
Painful past never far awayDanny Lannen, Geelong Advertiser , 10th November 2009 JOHN Coon, 68, discovered three weeks ago that he was adopted. more ... |
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Media Articles - Posted 27/01/2010 |
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Buried Secrets Cameron Lucadou-Wells, Knox Journal , 25th November 2009 POLICE have begun an investigation into claims that wards of state were bashed to death and then secretly buried at the former Bayswater Boys Home in the 1950s. more ... |
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Media Articles - Posted 26/01/2010 |
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Grave Concerns Hills Gazette , 19th January 2010 THE poor state of babies graves belonging to Parkerville Children and Youth Care has upset Armadale resident Bob McGuire. more ... |
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Media Articles - Posted 25/01/2010 |
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Pope to meet Irish bishops over abuse reports BBC News , 20th January 2010 Pope Benedict has summoned Irelands Catholic bishops to discuss the consequences of the churchs cover-ups of clerical sexual abuse. more ... |
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Media Articles - Posted 25/01/2010 |
Chilldhood destroyed by abuseLee Opitz, The Senior News , January 2010 RAY Prosser was in Canberra when Prime Minister Kevin Rudd apologised to him and the estimated 500,000 other Forgotten Australians for the physical, mental and emotional abuse many suffered as children while in state care in the last century. more ... |
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Media Articles - Posted 22/01/2010 |
Turnbull left in tears by Hicks storyDanny Lannen, Geelong Advertiser , 16th November 2009 PETER Hicks was planning to sleep in his car on his visit to Canberra for todays national apology to Forgotten Australians. more ... |
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Media Articles - Posted 22/01/2010 |
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Editorial: Spirit of Xmas lies in giving Geelong Advertiser , 24th December 2009 IT has been the best of times, it has been the worst time. With apologies to Charles Dickens, we have endured a year with highs and lows. more ... |
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Media Articles - Posted 22/01/2010 |
The state of Parkervilles babies gravesHills Gazette , 19th January 2010 THE poor state of babies graves belonging to Parkerville Children and Youth Care has upset Armadale resident Bob McGuire. more ... |
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Media Articles - Posted 21/01/2010 |
Forgotten Australians pathwaysFrank Golding, The Age , 11th January 2010 In the late 1950s I came to the University of Melbourne as a somewhat disorientated young man not many years out of the Ballarat Orphanage. To my knowledge I was the first student enrolled at the University who had been raised in state care, and I was still smarting from the shame of growing up in an institution. more ... |
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Media Articles - Posted 21/01/2010 |
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Andrew Bolts article on the apology and CLAN's response , 18th December 2009 Andrew Bolt presented an article in th 18/12 Herald Sun outlining his opinion on the Federal Apology, read on to view CLANs response and CLAN member- Catherines response to Bolts article. more ... |
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Letters to Newspapers - Posted 15/01/2010 |
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Pathways Website , 12th December 2009 On 3 December 2009, the first version of Pathways more ... |
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Media Articles - Posted 15/01/2010 |
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Hits on the website , 21st December 2009 Please click on the PDF to download a graph on CLANs website hits more ... |
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| » Click here to download PDF | Latest CLAN News - Posted 21/12/2009 |
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Priest calls for sex-case review Nick McKenzie, The Age , 12th August 2009 GEELONGs most senior priest has broken ranks with his boss, Archbishop Denis Hart, to demand a review of the Melbourne Catholic Churchs handling of more than 450 church sexual abuse cases over 13 years. more ... |
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Media Articles - Posted 18/12/2009 |
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Catholics Lift Sexual Abuse Pay Barney Zwartz, The Age , 24th April 2009 THE Catholic Church in Melbourne has lifted compensation to victims of clergy sexual abuse by nearly 50 per cent to $75,000. more ... |
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Media Articles - Posted 18/12/2009 |
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Update on the NSW Healing Service DVDs and photos and National Apology Memory Book , 16th December 2009 Production of a DVD recording of the NSW healing service and memorial unveiling is currently being finalised. Community Services can arrange to send a copy of the DVD as soon as it is available. more ... |
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CLAN News Flash - Posted 17/12/2009 |
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Greek children also among the abused in state orphanages Kosmos Plus , 10th December 2009 Greek children in Australia that ended up in orphanages and state institutions during the 50s, 60s and 70s were sexually exploited from some employees of those institutions according to expat lawyer Angela Sdrinis, who has defended over 700 such individuals over the course of fifteen years. more ... |
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Media Articles - Posted 17/12/2009 |
Left UnsaidMargo O Byrne, , 16th December 2009 CLAN member Margo O'Byrne donated 4 copies of her book based on her story - Left Unsaid and will be ready to borrow from the CLAN library after staff return on January 11 2010. more ... |
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Latest CLAN News - Posted 16/12/2009 |
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Where does your membership money go? , 15th December 2009 Over the last 12 months Jason Clare MP Member for Blaxland, has kindly printed our newsletters for free. Prior to this, we had to pay for newsletters to be printed. more ... |
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CLAN News Flash - Posted 16/12/2009 |
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Open Place Holds a Social for 2010 Open Place, the social and support service for Victorian Care Leavers will hold a social for the new year. Click on the PDF to download details of the social. more ... |
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| » Click here to download PDF | - Posted 15/12/2009 |
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Submission to Senate Community Affairs Committee: Inquiry into Suicide in Australia Joint Submission by AFA and CLAN, , 14th December 2009 At least half a million Australian children grew up in the 500 Orphanages or Childrens Homes, detention centres and/or foster care in Australia during the twentieth century. In many instances these were decidedly unhealthy places for children, and many former inmates continue to suffer from debilitating physical and mental health problems stemming from their experiences in care. The Senate Committee Inquiry, Forgotten Australians: A Report on Australians who experienced institutional or out-of-home care as children (August 2004) reported: more ... |
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| » Click here to download PDF | Latest CLAN News - Posted 14/12/2009 |
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Redress WA support service , 14th December 2009 Redress WA provides a phone-based social work service through the call centre. This service can be accessed each weekday from 9:00am to 4:30pm. more ... |
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CLAN News Flash - Posted 14/12/2009 |
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Media Release: Institutional abuse lawyer calls for special crimes unit Angela Sdrinis, , 8th December 2009 Recent reports suggest that children who were wards of the state have disappeared in mysterious circumstances and the Homicide Squad is now investigating a number of allegations made by former ward of the state, Rod Braybon and others. more ... |
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Press Releases - Posted 08/12/2009 |
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Submissions for Inquiry into the Adequacy and Future Directions of Public Housing in Victoria , 1st December 2009 A guideline has been made for submissions for Inquiry into the Adequacy and Future Directions of Public Housing in Victoria more ... |
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CLAN News Flash - Posted 01/12/2009 |
CLAN HatThe CLAN hat can be purchased for $15. more ... |
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Latest CLAN News - Posted 26/10/2009 |
Recent or Upcoming Protests
Victorian Silent Protest - 5th March 2010 Time: 10.30am-12.00pm
Where: Parliament House
Address: Spring Street, Melbourne
Victorian Silent Protests - 5th February 2010 Time: 10:30am-12:00pm
Where: Parliament House
Address: Spring Street, Melbourne
Events
Charlton Boys Home and Young Peoples Club Reunion - 13th March 2010 Time: 11:00am
Where: St Peters Church Hall, Cordeaux Street, Campbelltown
Families are also invited.
For further information and a registration form please contact Carl on (02) 4627 4231.
Everyone is requested to bring a plate of whatever you choose, also bring along paper plates and cups and any soft drinks required for yourselves. But most of all bring yourselves.
Many of you may have letters or cards or photographs of the Home or of yourselves or even photographs of the Glebe area, Churches or Schools, Glebe, Forest Lodge, Jubilee Park or St Barnabas Church at Broadway. All of these would be of immense interest.
Notices will be inserted in the Daily Telegraph, Sydney Morning Herald and Australian Seniors and The Age in Victoria and the Courier Mail in Queensland and media in ACT and Western Australia.
St Vincent's Black Rock Reunion - February 6th 2010 Time: TBA
Where: 237 Cecil St, South Melbourne
Federal Apology to all Care Leavers by Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd - 16th November 2009 Time: 11:00am
Where: Members Hall, Parliament House, Canberra
The apology was delivered in the Great Hall in Parliament House, Canberra.
A motion was later moved in both houses of Parliament on the same day.
If you have any photos you would like uploaded to the CLAN website please email them to:
or post to
PO Box 164,
Georges Hall, NSW, 2198
Barry Pinnell Rememberance - 12th October 2009 Time: 2:30pm
Where: Perth
As reported earlier last month; former CLAN member Barry Pinnell passed away before his payment from Redress where his body was left in a morgue for 2 months.
Barry was laid to rest on 12th October 2009 at 2:30pm.
A Sad but Dignified Funeral - Leonie Sheedy
On 12th October I attended the funeral of Barry Pinnell, a WA CLAN member. I met Barry in the
CLAN member Peter Bent and Pippa of CBERS made sure Barry was given a dignified funeral. Peter got the media involved because when Barry had died so did his WA redress claim. Peter, a UK Child Migrant, and Barry, and Aussie Homie met at Castledare Orphanage in WA when Peter was 8 years old. They were thrown together in the system and became life-long friends. Fifteen of us walked behind a hearse covered with beautiful white and red carnations. As we neared the graveside, the Aussie song “True Blue” came out of the speakers. Peter had arranged for Sue the funeral celebrant to conduct the service and what a fine job she did. It was respectful and sensitive and made mention of Barry’s childhood in WA orphanages. During the service three other songs were played; “I was born under a Wandering Star” by Lee Marvin, “Amazing Grace” sung beautifully by Anthony, a fellow Castledare boy and ‘Nobody’s Child.” The tears flowed freely. My emotions went from being very angry at how a fellow Australian could never know his family as a child or an adult and then die alone and be left in a morgue for 2 months. To the other end of the scale, pride that a group of fellow Homies could give a wonderful and respectful farewell to one of their own. Sincere thanks to Peter, Paul, Anthony, Hugh, Carol, Jack, Jim, Arthus, Jerry, Christine, Tony, Pat and Ross. Special thanks to Christian Brothers WA for topping up the WA Redress cheque of the $5000 for the funeral and paying for the wreath. Thank you to the people at Barry’s funeral for your support for each other and to me.
Tasmanian and Victorian Socials - See the Member's Only Section for information about upcoming socials
