British Home Children, home thoughts on a changing history

Now I think that if you can’t bring something new to a story then there is little point in turning on the computer and I have been  reminded of this along with something my mother used to say about history which put simply was “that’s the past and once it has happened and been recorded it’s time to move on.”

But then history has a habit of changing as new information turns up and perspectives alter.

As Hobbs said about the future, “No man can have in his mind a conception of the future for the future is not yet. But of the conceptions of the past we make a future.”

Which pretty much sums up how we interpret the past which is often guided by the contemporary landscape.

Just look at the way Hollywood has portrayed the Native American on film much of which reflects the political outlook of the time as it does some solid historical truth.

So to the point.  The study of the story of British Home Children who were those young people sent from Britain first to Canada and then later Australia to start new lives has undergone a number of different interpretations.

The policy began in the late 19th century as a response to the awful conditions of thousands of destitute and homeless children left to fend for themselves and later as a way of offering new life chances to young people in the orphanages, workhouses and from uncaring families.

At the time it was pretty much seen as a “good thing,” which is still a view held by some people.  But the growing research by relatives and interested parties has begun to reveal a different history and one that draws on the voices of the forgotten ones who were the children who crossed the oceans.

In the process those who stood up against the policy at the time are also being rediscovered.

It makes for messy history where the orthodox line can no longer hold and conflicting views bounce off each other.  And as it goes on lots of people get very cross and shout but out of it comes a better understanding of what it was all about.

But if there is one constant it is that the voices of those that were sent is resurfacing which is a nice and uncontrived way of publicising my friend Lori's new image of the faces of the children who are at the centre of the whole thing.

And points to one last observation which is that so much of the serious research and writing of history springs from the amateur and unprofessional historian and long may it be so.

Picture; from the collection of Lori Oschefski, http://canadianbritishhomechildren.weebly.com/lori-oschefski.html