Book Launch - Ivy, Refusing to Hate - From State Ward to Survivor
by Eila Jameson-Avey & Ivy Getchell. She was punished for being neglected. She survived to be heard.
In 1945, 12-year-old Ivy Getchell vanished into Australia’s infamous Parramatta Girls Training School, labeled a “moral danger” and stripped of her mother’s cherished locket.
Her fight for survival unfolded through a relentless cycle of institutional cruelty and betrayal: a fleeting reprieve at Thornleigh, where she found kinship and music, shattered by a traumatic foster home and a return to Parramatta, now branded a “criminal.”
Marriage to “Skinny” offered no escape—only abuse and the theft of her children. Yet Ivy’s spirit, rooted in memories of her parents’ love, refused to break. With Frank, she reclaimed her voice and freedom, finally daring to hope beyond the shadows of her past.
Decades later, the Forgotten Australians Inquiry and Royal Commission amplified her story, giving light to the trauma endured by thousands. Ivy’s journey—of stolen childhood, silenced truth, and defiant resilience—becomes a testament to love as a weapon against despair. A story not of hatred, but of unyielding dignity.
“A haunting odyssey of survival, justice, and the enduring power of love in the face of institutional darkness.”
Eila Jameson-Avey is an Australian author passionate about social justice and human resilience. Her novel, Wellworth, draws on her teaching experience and love of regional NSW. A Varuna Fellowship winner, her work combines research and lived experience, resonating deeply.
by Eila Jameson-Avey & Ivy Getchell. She was punished for being neglected. She survived to be heard.
In 1945, 12-year-old Ivy Getchell vanished into Australia’s infamous Parramatta Girls Training School, labeled a “moral danger” and stripped of her mother’s cherished locket.
Her fight for survival unfolded through a relentless cycle of institutional cruelty and betrayal: a fleeting reprieve at Thornleigh, where she found kinship and music, shattered by a traumatic foster home and a return to Parramatta, now branded a “criminal.”
Marriage to “Skinny” offered no escape—only abuse and the theft of her children. Yet Ivy’s spirit, rooted in memories of her parents’ love, refused to break. With Frank, she reclaimed her voice and freedom, finally daring to hope beyond the shadows of her past.
Decades later, the Forgotten Australians Inquiry and Royal Commission amplified her story, giving light to the trauma endured by thousands. Ivy’s journey—of stolen childhood, silenced truth, and defiant resilience—becomes a testament to love as a weapon against despair. A story not of hatred, but of unyielding dignity.
“A haunting odyssey of survival, justice, and the enduring power of love in the face of institutional darkness.”
Eila Jameson-Avey is an Australian author passionate about social justice and human resilience. Her novel, Wellworth, draws on her teaching experience and love of regional NSW. A Varuna Fellowship winner, her work combines research and lived experience, resonating deeply.
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Highlights
- 1 hour 30 minutes
- In person
Location
Cessnock Library
Vincent street
Cessnock, NSW 2325
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