We can’t escape History and we must remember it and take note so that the terrible parts of our history are not repeated.
The site of one of the most heartbreaking institutions tied to Australia’s Stolen Generations is the Cootamundra Domestic Training Home for Aboriginal Girls.
The home opened in 1911 (with some sources noting full operations around 1912) in the disused hospital, established by the Aborigines Protection Board (later the Aborigines Welfare Board). It was designed specifically as a training facility for Aboriginal girls, primarily those deemed “part-Aboriginal” or of mixed descent, who had been forcibly removed from their families and communities under policies aimed at assimilation.
This was not a place of voluntary education or refuge. Under the Aborigines Protection Act 1909 and subsequent laws, the Board wielded sweeping powers to act as guardian over Aboriginal children, removing them—often without warning or parental consent—to sever ties with their culture, language, and kin. Girls too young for immediate domestic service (typically under 14) were sent to Cootamundra. There, they lived as “inmates” in age-segregated dormitories, undergoing rigorous training in domestic skills: cooking, cleaning, sewing, and childcare. The explicit goal was to prepare them for placement as low-paid servants in white households across New South Wales, effectively erasing their Aboriginal identity in the name of “civilising” them.
Life at the home was marked by strict discipline, isolation from families, and systemic efforts to suppress cultural practices. Contact with parents or communities was heavily restricted or forbidden. Many girls endured emotional hardship, punishments, and the profound trauma of separation. Brothers were often sent to places like Kinchela Boys’ Home, further fracturing families. Hundreds of girls passed through its doors over the decades, with numbers fluctuating but averaging around 40 at a time. The institution operated at the heart of a broader policy that saw thousands of Aboriginal children removed between the early 1900s and the late 1960s.
While some accounts describe efforts at care within the constraints of the system, former residents’ testimonies—featured in the landmark Bringing Them Home report (1997)—reveal deep scars: loss of identity, cultural disconnection, and vulnerability to exploitation once “apprenticed” out. Wages were often withheld in trust accounts, and many faced abuse in their placements.
The Cootamundra home closed as an Aboriginal-specific institution in 1969, with the abolition of the Aborigines Welfare Board. A small number of non-Aboriginal girls were admitted in its final years. It fully ceased operations around 1974, after which the site was transferred and later became Bimbadeen College, an Aboriginal-run Christian vocational and cultural training centre. Today, the surviving buildings are listed on the NSW State Heritage Register, recognised for their tangible link to assimilation policies and the Stolen Generations. A monument erected in 2006 honours the girls who lived there.
While the history is one of profound loss and injustice, the story of Cootamundra’s survivors is also one of remarkable resilience and strength. Many former residents went on to build lives of purpose—raising families, advocating for justice, preserving culture, and contributing to their communities. Survivors and their descendants have shared powerful testimonies, driven reconciliation efforts, established support organisations like the Coota Girls Aboriginal Corporation, and ensured that this dark chapter is documented and taught. Their endurance speaks to the unbreakable spirit of Aboriginal people.
As Australia continues to reckon with its past, the former home stands as a solemn reminder: history must not be forgotten. Remembering ensures we honour the truth, support healing, and commit to a future where such policies are never repeated. The girls of Cootamundra, taken from their homes, ultimately helped forge a stronger voice for recognition, truth-telling, and hope. Their legacy endures not in sorrow alone, but in the ongoing journey toward justice and unity.
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