Bert McGregor interviewed by Caroline Evans in the Forgotten Australians and Former Child Migrants oral history project [sound recording]
- Bib ID:
- 4978017
- Format:
- Audio
- Author:
- McGregor, Bert, 1941-, interviewee
- Online Access:
- National Library of Australia digitised item
- Access Conditions:
- Access open for research, personal copies and public use.
- Description:
-
- 2010
- 2 sound files (ca. 211 min.)
- Series:
- Forgotten Australians and Former Child Migrants oral history project.
- Technical Details:
- Mode of access: Internet via World Wide Web.
- Summary:
-
Bert McGregor born 1941, in Aberdeen, Scotland talks about his siblings; his family being Roman Catholic; having no memories of living at home; unmarried mother, being taken to Nazareth House at two months old; mother refusing permission for his adoption; being told he was a war orphan, later finding out he had family (1987); his memories of Nazareth House in Scotland; arriving in Australia at the age of five, enjoying the trip, being cared for by nuns, a priest, and older children; the effects of institutionalisation; Sisters of St Joseph; emotional and psychological support; Castledare orphanage; not being able to read, good at mathematics; The Brothers; children's limited education; farm work and being chief sacristan; daily routine at Clontarf and Castledare orphanages; going on hunger strike; evening and prayer routine; learning about animals and gardening; the children living a monastic life, finding religion comforting; his friendships; no acknowledgement of birthdays; joining the Christian Brothers to become a religious teacher; spending his holidays with the Smith family; corporal punishment used as discipline; no inspections by state officials; music playing an important part in boys' lives; later in his life conducting survey concerning sexual abuse cases.
McGregor speaks about working in Fiji for two years; suffering depression; Christian Brothers encouraging him to leave the order; writing his book about surviving abuse, 'With God behind the Eight Ball'; being unemployed, sent by the Church to the Kimberley to teach Aboriginal children; Barry Coldrey; returning to Fiji again; a missing chapter to his book; pedophiles; the personal cost of being a whistle blower; discovering that Alex McDonald was his brother; meeting his brother while visiting his mother in Aberdeen; the difficulties bonding with his birth family because of cultural differences; meeting his brother Jimmy; not knowing if Mary, another sister, exists; mental illness, religion providing consolation; the psychological abuse starting at Castledare orphanage when he was eight; deciding to become a Christian Brother; his journey from Clontarf to Strathfield; learning to read; becoming a teacher, encouraging creativity, teaching music and art; the Church encouraging him to become a missionary; child abuse; enjoyed teaching in different cultures; counselling care leavers; missing other Christian Brothers and friends.
- Notes:
- Recorded on 1 October 2010 in Burnie, Tas.
- Index/Finding Aid Note:
- Timed summary (6 p.) and corrected transcript available (typescript, 90 leaves)
- Subject:
- Occupation:
- Educators
- Other authors/contributors:
- Evans, Caroline, 1950-, interviewer
- Related Records:
-
This belongs to the Forgotten Australians and Former Child Migrants oral history project.
This collection contains 208 records. - Copyright:
-
In Copyright
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- Reason for copyright status:
- Until 2080 [Created/Published Date + 70 Years]
Copyright status was determined using the following information:
- Material type:
- Sound Recording
- Published status:
- Unpublished
- Creation date:
- 2010
Copyright status may not be correct if data in the record is incomplete or inaccurate. Other access conditions may also apply. For more information please see: Copyright in library collections.
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