Book reveals abuse faced by UK child migrants in Australia
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Norman “Johno” Johnston, an 83-year-old man, shared his experiences of abuse as a child migrant from the United Kingdom to Western Australia.
His former wife, Kathleen O’Reilly Johnston, carefully documented his life story in a new biography titled Johno, released during Child Protection Week. After World War II, thousands of children were sent from orphanages in the UK to Australia with the intention of bolstering the country’s population with “good British stock.” Mr.
Johnston arrived at age seven and spent over six years in institutions run by the Christian Brothers, including Castledare Junior Orphanage and St Vincent’s Orphanage Clontarf. There, he and other children endured brutal and often baseless punishments, like public floggings, and suffered systemic abuse that stripped them of their identities. Mr. Johnston recounted a harrowing incident where a Christian Brother attempted to drown him in the Canning River after he witnessed sexual abuse.
He also described harsh labor conditions on a farm at age fifteen, working long hours for minimal pay. Later in life, he served in the Vietnam War and built a family with Kathleen, with whom he maintained a respectful relationship despite challenges. Kathleen O’Reilly Johnston spent years meticulously recording her former husband’s memories, verifying them with historical records. Despite initial reluctance, Mr.
Johnston ultimately chose to include details of the abuse in the book, believing it was essential to telling the full truth about his life and the experiences of other child migrants. The Christian Brothers previously apologized to West Australian victims and settled some lawsuits related to abuse in their institutions, and a parliamentary inquiry in Britain investigated the broader issue of UK child migration.
