On Their Own: Britain’s Child Migrants

Between 1865 and 1970, an estimated 100,000 British children were sent to Canada, Australia and other Commonwealth countries as part of initiatives run by charities and religious organisations claiming to offer boys and girls as young as four years old the chance of a better life in Britain's Empire Overseas. The publicity photographs at the time depicted smiling, carefree kids waving from the decks of ocean liners, but what followed were stories of isolation and trauma from children already victims of poverty, parental death or illness. Although some found loving new homes and care, many were subject to institutional brutality, and the vast majority of children never saw their homes or families again. This exhibition sheds light on their stories and explores how the migration schemes totally changed their lives through first-hand stories, photographs, and personal possessions belonging to the children.