In 1949, when she was just 2 years old, Jen spent 9 months at the Presbyterian Babies’ Home in Camberwell, Victoria. It was a fragmented time in her life, and one that had constantly been shrouded in shame.
For Jen, accessing Uniting’s Heritage Service was life transformative.
The Heritage Service team took Jen through records which enabled her to learn the details of the cascade of disasters that had overtaken her family, from her movements as a tiny child in a country town living with parents who were no longer able to care for her, her stay in the Home, to her finally re-uniting with her parents.
“For the first time, I could see the efforts that were made along the way to help my family and to understand something of the trauma that had brought us to such a state.
“The sensitivity, compassion and understanding that I have been shown by Uniting Heritage Service has validated my experiences.
“My history has been expanded, encompassing kindness and care, not just dislocation and loss.”
