To this day many people say "Thank God for the Salvos" and to be honest so did I, many years ago. Until I heard the horrific stories that many young girls went through when their families forced them into these homes and made sure that their records were noted as B A D (baby for adoption). Elim is only one of the homes that these horrific and abusive activities took place. These homes are found worldwide and I am going to see to it that as many as possible are listed in our newsletters and also on the website so all can see the scandalous activities that these homes carried out of defenceless young girls.

Evelyn has decided to tell us how she was treated and also what she witnessed at Elim. Evelyn is brave enough to tell us this especially since Mr Bond and Major Earl warned her that if she mentioned the things that happened they would take action against her - It is just one of the worst crimes against a young girl - blackmail:

Evelyn was sent to Elim because she was young, unmarried and pregnant. First things first, she was warned not to talk to any of the other girls, if she did just like all of the girls at Elim, she would be punished. They were only allowed to talk to the Salvation Army Officer who was in charge of them and a relative of Major Earl. Solitary confinement is only for prisoners, and in Elim this is what the girls had become.

It was all work and no play at Elim, Evelyn's duties included washing her own personal items and other laundry items from Elim. Scrubbing and cleaning the floors including the concrete floors. Evelyn also had to clean the single rooms and the delivery room.

Evelyn frequented the delivery room, as one of her jobs was cleaning up the blood whilst young girls were giving birth and after the delivery. There were no disinfectants used and the delivery room at Elim lacked hygiene standards. What a great way for infections to be passed on.... One of my jobs was to clean any blood up during and after the delivery - there was to be no mess.... it had to be cleaned up straight away....

The officers in charge of Elim were selective as to whom they chose to clean the delivery rooms, e.g. they would only pick girls that they could really bully around and who would not tell tales. Evelyn was one of these girls and until now Evelyn has been silent. Even at the inquiry Evelyn noticed the Salvation Army solicitor sitting at the back and decided then that she was very scared about saying what she wanted.

If you got a spot of blood on your face washer, towel or sheets etc., you were forced to wash them by hand to get the blood out, before the items were sent downstairs to the laundry. Elim did have a TV room, but the girls were not allowed to use it as this is where the signing of papers took place.

Evelyn felt very intimidated at Elim, "I would normally hit first!! and ask questions later!!!, but at Elim the staff would gang up on you, so what support did I have? None."

"Whether you wanted to or not, I was made to go to church on Sundays in Liverpool Street Hobart. I was alway escorted by the Salvation Army Officers one on each side of me, just in case I did a runner."

I was told my sins had to be forgiven as I was a dirty, tainted because I was pregnant before I was married. I was forced to be Baptised the Salvo's way. They did this to get rid of my sins. "Originally High Church of England" - Catholic by "Magdeline Girls Home" - Mt. St. Canice, then the "Salvation Army at Elim".

In the mornings if you wouldn't take your medication - it would be crushed up and put in your food or drink. You were stood over while you ate or drank. I was given high doses of Lasgatyl whilst in Elim - it was sent there by the Nuns from Mt. St. Canice. I was made to take this drug whilst in Mt. St. Carmel to keep me docile. I was classed as uncontrollable. I remained on this drug from approximately 1967 to 1972 - the dosage was 100mg.

My General Practitioner today is horrified when I finally told him this. He told me that the effects of this drug - Lasgatyl, could have caused major damage and have life long effects.

When it was my turn to be in the delivery room, I was doped up and couldn't move my hands, I was tied up my legs were pushed up and they were forced open. I spent 18 long hours like this. This was part of my punishment for being pregnant. After my son was born and relinquished, I spent a while in the Royal Hobart Hospital. (I have a release form from the hospital) and then I was sent back to Mt. St. Canice".

The girls at Elim suffered immensley, "sometimes" whilst still in the labour ward, mothers would be made to sign the paper by Major Earl and Ms Bond.

"Some other things I witnessed were:

* Girls were pushed down stairs
* Some girls had their stomaches jumped on (the girls were very much pregnant)
* Some girls had their hair pulled and dragged - just like when you wrap hair around your hand and pull tightly.
* One girl was pushed out of the first floor window onto the concrete below - to this day I do not know if that girl lived or died or if she lost her baby.
* In the delivery room, your hands were tied with cut up sheets tied to the rails at the head or the sides of the bed.
* Legs were tied open and pushed up......."

How innocent is this place now? It is amazing that our families can tell us to forget about the birth of our son or daughter especially when we were treated worse than criminals. There was no help, no sincerity, no love no support no nothing.