A memorial at the Parramatta Girls Home will remember the former residents who were abused, with a promise of ‘never again’.
After years of waiting, not even the rain could stop the launch of the memorial on Wednesday, April 6.
Made out of sandstone, the memorial structure features a bronze plaque at its centre inscribed with the words ‘never again’ and will provide a protected reflection space for visitors.
Since 2003, former residents of the Parramatta Girls Home, known as the Parragirls, have led the fight for the protection, preservation and activation of the precinct so that the legacy of institutionalisation is not forgotten.
Former resident and founder of the Parragirls network Bonney Djuric said it had been a “long journey” to get the memorial.
“As a Parragirl it takes courage to be here, to return and to speak of our experiences. For us, this place offered no safety or refuge, no warmth or kindness, none of us hold fond memories of these buildings,” she said.
“Our experiences have been given form in this memorial. For us, it renders visible the secrets hidden behind high walls and acknowledges our experiences.”
A response by the NSW Government to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, the memorial seeks to pay tribute to people who were abused as children at Parramatta Girls Home.
Triggerdesign, in partnership with the Department of Communities and Justice, worked closely with former residents to design the memorial.
The memorial features graffiti found scratched into the walls of the institution by former residents. This includes the acronyms ILWA (I Love Worship Always) and TID (Till I Die), which express the bonds of solidarity between the former residents.
Parramatta Girls Home ran from 1887 to 1974, before it operated under the new name of the Kamballa and Taldree Children’s Shelter from 1974 to 1983.
In 2018, the NSW Government officially apologised to victims and survivors of child sexual abuse, including those who suffered acts of exploitation at sites like the Parramatta Girls Home and have had to carry the trauma of those events.
Ellie Busby is a news reporter for Western Sydney Publishing Group. A graduate of the University of Hertfordshire and Western Sydney University, she is a journalism Major. Ellie has worked with Universal Media, The Cova Project and for a range of other organisations. In 2024, Ellie was named Young Writer of the Year at the Mumbrella Publish Awards.