‘In 1961, at the age of 5, Eve was stolen from her family where they lived on the Lane Cove River in Sydney. Her institutionalisation included continual sexual abuse and no preparation for the world beyond. At 18, she was legally an adult, and removed from what she knew as ‘home’. She was left in Kings Cross in Sydney, uneducated and with no money. Not by choice, Eve became a sex worker, and was drawn into the dark underbelly of human trafficking. Eve was continually raped and gave birth to a daughter, whom she gave up. With this loss, she self-medicated and became a heroin addict. Eve found her brother had suffered a similar fate and also struggled with mental heath issues. When Eve found her little sister, she discovered that her sister had been adopted into a white family who treated her well, and this created a void between them. Due to Eve’s experiences, some of her fears and illnesses have been passed on to her children. The daughter Eve gave up for adoption has never been able to reconcile with her. After a friend was murdered, she escaped 2000km north and finally found the sanctuary of a loving partner and more children. They have been married for 27 years. Unfortunately, the emotional scars of her past have never enabled her to kiss him.’
ARCHIE ROACH
SINGER AND SONGWRITER
BUNDJALUNG AND GUNDITJMARA MAN
Archie Roach is Australia’s most beloved, respected and admired Aboriginal singer/songwriter. His voice and sensibility are this country’s most important song line. This venerable and dignified performer captured the hearts and minds of a nation with 1990’s ‘Took The Children Away’, when he sang about the Stolen Generations. In 2010 he lost his partner and soul mate Ruby Hunter; she was only 54. Later that year Archie himself suffered a stroke, which left parts of his body, including one of his hands, inert. In mid 2011 Archie was diagnosed with the early stages of lung cancer. He had half a lung removed and again needed considerable rehabilitation. Into the Bloodstream, released in late 2012, is a triumphant return for a man who lost everything, then lost some more. He has been bold enough to come back to the stage and the spotlight and tell us what he has
learned.
With special thanks to Paul Calcott, the ATSI Cultural Resource Manager of the Suncare Community Services, Nandjimadji Indigenous art group for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living with disabilities. This has enabled Eve to engage with other people with disabilities and share their stories. These stories are expressed through the Cultural Healing program the rich traditions of their art.www.suncare.org.au
Link-Up provides services to individuals, families or communities who have been affected by past Australian Government removal polices and practices, including separation through adoption, fostering, removal or institutionalisation. Link-Up provides a professional, sensitive, culturally appropriate tracing and reunion service to members of the Stolen Generations. Reunion services are available to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people over the age of 18. Link-Up prioritises service delivery to first generation clients. www.link-upqld.org.au
‘They said they had this place up at Hay, in NSW, it was a Japanese World War II prison, and they turned it into an institution for young girls. They weren’t allowed to talk, had to keep eyes on the ground. I got raped there and I was only a girl. I hate the feeling when you know that, when you try to trust somebody fully and it’s been broken. You don’t know if you can ever be put back together again. They tried to break me down, but I’ll tell you something, they never broke my spirit. I would never let them break my spirit. I said, you can bash the hell out of me, you can do whatever you want, but you are not going to break me down.’
EVE KITCHENER, WIRADJURI WOMAN AND ARTIST
