The first suffrage movement was formed in 1872. In 1895 the Tasmanian Upper House rejected a proposal to allow women the right to vote, they had to fight until 1903.

In 1904 Edith Haynes fought the Supreme Court to become a Lawyer. The "Legal Practitioners Act" stated "any person" who possessed the qualifications was entitled to be admitted to Legal Practice by way of articles to Solicitors. The Court found that the term "person" was not defined, so debated if women were indeed persons. By 1920, women were allowed to practice Law, Tasmania being the lst Jurisdiction to open its doors…. (Printed in the Mercury 5/10/2000)….

These fair minded righteous men in the 1920's who treated women as idiots are the same men who, made the Laws and set the ground work that ruined my life in 1968. And no-one cares Not then and Not now.

Since 1996 I lost two more children (my grandchildren) to adoption…. No body asked me my views or what I wanted, my choices didn't even come into it once again, nothing much has changed since 1968 when I lost their mother (my daughter) to adoption. I was still not important in the scheme of things.

There will be people reading this - people I would reckon who haven't been directly affected by adoption - who will say, I've got it wrong and I shouldn't feel like this…. Bull Shit!!! I am tired of that cop out, I hear it all the time, trouble is NO ONE actually wants to know how I feel. This is my story - not yours - and out lives are still in ruin simply because no one wants to listen, or else they want to put words into our mouths.

We have tried so very hard to educate the public, and received nothing but lip service.

What are the churches doing? Nothing!!!
What are the schools doing? Nothing!!!
What is the media doing? Nothing!!!
How about the Government? Nothing!!!!

Oh yes, we had an Inquiry into Past Adoption Practices, and NOTHING!!!!

It seems to have been a case of: Lets pacify the bitches and shut them up, but don't make waves!!!!!!
We have some conflicting evidence on that.
One Committee Member told us they didn't have time to read all the submissions:
1. They didn't have time.
2. They were too involved.
3. They were too technical.
4. They were too medically complicated.

We were also asked to submit a list of People / Organisations we wanted questioned (i.e. Registrar, police, Doctors etc.,) Our list was never taken into account or submitted, which makes me wonder if the Committee had written their answers before they took the test - Yes, we wanted to tell our stories, but we also wanted answers, and we got NOTHING!!!!!!! How stupid can we be, we were told it was : "The Mores of the Times" - who cares if the Laws were broken and our rights were taken from us…. Come on!!!!! We are nobody's!!!! Am I feeling sorry for myself?? Probably!! But I am so bloody angry!!! This issue never gets any better and never goes away… We are treated with far less understanding than a mother who has lost a child through death, kidnapping or misplacement or divorce, but the feelings are the same , if not greater. There are people reading this asking themselves: "What does this woman expect?" UNDERSTANDING AND EDUCATION!!!!!!!!!!!

The Inquiry contributed to the deaths of 3 mothers, 2 being self inflicted and 1 due to stress related illness. .. Have I thought of suicide??? YES, 32 years ago: but then, I lose and you Society winds and I won't let you win…

In my case, I lost my daughter in 1968 to the tune of : SLUT, MOLE, WHORE, PROSITUTE.

I found my daughter again in 1990 and had three years together, they weren't easy. I felt as though it was all a test and obversley I was found wanting. She sent me a Lawyers letter saying: I made her feel uncomfortable and a page of half truths and non-truths, I haven't seen her for 7 1/2 years and I have never seen my 2 granddaughters. When I was pregnant, her father couldn't run fast enough, and the above chorus was sung by my mother as well as his family…. Now, I have no contact, but her father (my husband) sees them every fortnight and my mother-in-law has had a visit. I don't begrudge them the contact, but I remember when I was pregnant no-one wanted her. Not her father or either lots of grandparents, only me. My parents are dead but everyone who didn't want her and help to tear my world apart…. HAS CONTACT.. They have cuddled my grand daughters, I haven't!!!!!! Do I need help???? Probably!!!!! But who are you to judge me??????

To seek help with the Family Law Court, it is mandatory to have Counselling. The Counsellor I had was Malcolm Cunningham, he told me he had never dealt with an adoption case….. After one session of about 45 minutes - me emotionally charged - seeking help - He told me to go home "and work on my softer side". That man didn't know me, he's never dealt with an adoption - and he judges me…. I would lay money, he would never say that to a mother who's child has been kidnapped or missing… An I so different from that Mother….

My husband only talks about "The Situation" when he's been drinking… I tell him how I feel - and he tells me I'm wrong, I don't feel like that !!! That's not how it is…. No! not from his place in the family it's not, but it is from mine.

Why does he try to talk me out of how I feel??? Why won't he listen??? Over the years he wouldn't talk about the girls after his visits there…. So I kept an exercise book, and wrote down everything he said…. I Still do!!! I would wait hours for him to tell me anything - before I'd start the questions: How are They??? …. Good! - What did the kids have on??? … Clothes! - What are their favourite toys??? … Dun no!! Over a period of time I stopped asking. He told me he wouldn't talk about them, because every time he came back from a visit, I was in a different "mode"…

True!!! It was like waiting for Christmas… or exciting news. Now after 4 years, he'll come in and say: Visited the kids today!! One's got a cold!! I'll give them some money to go to the show…. I have to be satisfied with that!!.

I get on with living, but am very "isolated emotionally". My friend Mary is always there with a shoulder to cry on and an ear to listen, and usually tells me to "snap out of it". I guess we boost each other up… All this heartache is still happening today, the remains of the 1920 Adoption Act!!! And the Adoption authorities are still turning a deaf ear… If they weren't, "Open Adoption" would be Legislated, and mothers would have "rights"… It seems that these people who are supposed to be helping us are still Judging us, only now with a "smile". And, what about the conflict of interest? The same Adoption Workers who has no Legal background is still representing both the Natural Mothers and the adoptive parents. I'd say that is: Unethical and hypocritical.

The Adoption Laws need burning and we need to start again.

This is my story, it's not glossed over nor thinned down…. You might not like it, and it may make you feel uncomfortable…. I really don't care!!!! These are very milk and water words, for the "trauma" I'm living with.

People love to say "forgive and forget" WHY!!!!!!

Why should I make everyone feel comfortable and less guilty??? What are these people doing for me???? NOTHING!!!! They just love to give advice.

To be truthfull, I really hope that some Mother out there has got enough GUTS to set the Adoption Information Service and the Health Department on their arses - over the so called "OPEN ADOPTION" As in 1920 and even 1968, they are still EXPLOITING YOUNG MOTHERS…. And they deserve to fall…..