Over 130,000 children were deported from the UK as part of various Child Migration Schemes. It is estimated that Australia received 7,000 children between 1912 and 1970. Many of these children were sent without the consent or knowledge of their parents. Once in Australia the children were used for cheap labour and many were abused.
In 1986 an English social worker named Margaret Humphreys discovered and then exposed the scheme despite immense pressure from very powerful groups who had a vested interest in it being kept quite. The new Australian/UK co-production Oranges and Sunshine, by director Jim Loach, tells Margaret’s story (who is still working to reunited lost family members).
This interview was recorded on Friday 27 May 2011 and then played on Film Buff’s Forecast (Triple R, 3RRR 102.7FM) on Saturday 11 June 2011.
Download link (running time = 13:47)
