Aboriginal Mission in Wandering WA
- Linage Artist
- Aug 8
- 1 min read
Aboriginal Mission in Wandering WA
Aug 2026, My daughter and I went to show respect. - Chris D.
November 1949 saw the first Major influx of children, which was 25 girls transferred from Moore River Native Settlement (as MRNS was winding down), and in 1951 boys began being formally admitted, including transfers from Moore River and Carrolup when those settlements closed.
Behind the religious façade, Wandering Mission became a site of sexual abuse, physical violence, and psychological harm. Staff - including priests and teachers - exploited the institution's remoteness and the children's vulnerability.
Only after the Royal Commission did the truth surface publicly. In 2017, multiple former staff were charged with offences committed against children at the mission. Survivors had been telling these stories for years — no one listened.
