In 1962 Harold Blair, Aboriginal tenor and activist started the Aboriginal Children’s project which provided Melbourne holidays for mission and other aboriginal children. Many Robinvale Aboriginal kids particpated in this plan, and one Robinvale kid, Raymond Kennedy, has agreed to share his story:
“This was about 1967-68, I was billeted to a German family in St Albans, Melbourne. Their son, Wolfgang was my age, and we shared a room. I experienced German food which was awesome: I never tasted food like that! We went to the cinema, VFL football games, swimming, and shopping. They got me a bicycle so we both went cycling around St. Albans, and I stayed I think a couple of weeks or more. It was fantastic! They treated me like family! All us aboriginal kids were excited and happy travelling 12 hours by train because it gave us an experience we would not have had!”
Thanks to Raymond Kennedy for allowing us to share his story and personal images!

Victoria was the first state in Australia to enact a ‘Protection Act’ that enabled Aboriginal children to be separated from their family, community, Culture and Country. https://www.vic.gov.au/stolen-generations-reparations-steering-committee-report/chapter-2-victorian-stolen-generations-0
The ‘Aborigines Act 1915’ and the ‘Aborigines Act 1928’ continued the Protection Board’s power to remove and apprentice Aboriginal children.20 The Protection Boards power to separate Aboriginal children from family, community, Culture and Country was enforced until 1957 when the Aboriginal Welfare Board was established.
https://www.vic.gov.au/stolen-generations-reparations-steering-committee-report/chapter-2-victorian-stolen-generations-0https://www.vic.gov.au/stolen-generations-reparations-steering-committee-report/chapter-4-stolen-generations-reparations-3Sources:
https://humanrights.gov.au/our-work/projects/bringing-them-home-chapter-4
https://aiatsis.gov.au/sites/default/files/docs/digitised_collections/remove/25495.pdf
https://www.findandconnect.gov.au/ref/vic/biogs/E000654b.htm
https://www.vic.gov.au/stolen-generations-reparations-steering-committee-report/chapter-2-victorian-stolen-generations-0