On their own - Britain's child migrants

From the late 19th century Britain operated schemes which sent more than 100,000 children to Canada, Australia and other Commonwealth countries. It was believed that they would have a better life working in the clean expanses of the British Empire, where they were a source of much-needed labour.

Children did not travel with mothers or fathers but alone. While some were orphaned, many left families behind, and separation from their homeland often led to a lonely, brutal childhood. Today many former child migrants and their families are still coming to terms with their dislocation. In November 2009 the Australian Government issued an apology to children who suffered in institutional care. The British Government also apologised to former child migrants in 2010. This exhibition tells some of their stories.

Share your memories

If you are a former child migrant or were affected by child migration then we would like to hear from you. Please share your memories on our message board.

Exhibition partners

This exhibition is a collaboration between the Australian National Maritime Museum, where it opens in November 2010, and National Museums Liverpool, UK. The UK tour of the exhibition opens at the Merseyside Maritime Museum in November 2011.

The exhibition is supported by the National Collecting Institutions Touring and Outreach Program, an Australian Government program aiming to improve access to the national collections for all Australians.