R CELEBRATION EXHIBITION ROYAL COMMISSION COMMUNITY BASED SUPPORT17 SERVICE Royal Commission Community Based Support Service

Celebrating strength and resilience Journeys of hope

In 2012, the Commonwealth Government established the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse to investigate how institutions such as schools, churches, orphanages, sports clubs and government organisations have responded to allegations and instances of child sexual abuse.

In 2013, Interrelate was funded to provide Royal Commission Community Based Support Services to survivors of child sexual abuse and their families, as well as witnesses and employees of institutions and organisations where abuse took place and those who are distressed by the work of the Royal Commission. Since the program’s inception, Interrelate has supported more than 1000 clients affected by the Royal Commission.

In working towards dealing with the effects of childhood trauma, and building supportive and healthy relationships, many of the people who have engaged with this service have used expressive and creative arts as part of their recovery journey. Many clients want to have their work displayed in a way that will raise community awareness and provide hope for other survivors, as well as acknowledge their strength and resilience. Everything you see and read in this booklet is exactly how our clients submitted it.

Counsellors and others within Interrelate are excited to support this exhibition, to honour the effort and successes of clients and to raise awareness of child sexual abuse within the broader community.

We hope you are inspired by the works on display.

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Garden Of Inner Strength Zoie

Through the Royal Commission and Interrelate I have learned so much about my trauma and how to deal with it, and my artwork represents the inner strength I have gained through the experience. Self Portrait Samantha Burns

I attended Interrelate after the Royal Commission. This photo represents me breaking through my fears from being abused. Since this mainly took place in a pool environment, the water was both a place of trauma and healing for me. This photo represents reclaiming something I love to do – that of swimming and feeling free.

02 03 CELEBRATION EXHIBITION2017-2018 04 world, alongbush walking my Zen state ofrelaxation Walk InNature flowers andnature brings Whatever isinmy turmoil Every timeyouEvery thinkofthem,you thinkofthembreaching thewater happiness. This creates happiness. This tracks, seeingwaratah and mindfulness. Wayne Illes Dolphins are loving,Dolphins awonderful, playful creature. and playing happily.

2 Dolphins Jhy Wilson This work isrelevant to where my life isnow andwhere Iwant itto be. Roaring OutOfThePast And Into A BrightFuture Lion –strength andpride. Flowers –abright future. Darkness isgone. Darkness Paul Colvin Royal CommissionCommunityBasedSupportService 05 CELEBRATION EXHIBITION 2017 - 2018 Royal Commission Community Based Support Service

Poster I made this poster showing how I felt before I spoke to the Royal Commission, explaining all the feelings and emotions I suffered for 32 years as a result of being abused sexually at school by a teacher. The other Con Vassilakis half shows how I felt after I spoke about it for the first time and how good and important it was for me letting it out and letting it go so I can move on in my life with a big weight lifted off me.

I made this poster so it can show others in similar situations as me that it is never too late to tell someone about the abuse you suffered, no matter how little or how long it occurred. Before I spoke to the Royal Commission, I never told anyone for 32 long, long years, even though I wanted to. I just could not as I feared any repercussions, meaning I would be blamed for letting it happen or I would not be believed. I felt so much guilt, shame, hurt.

I just wanted the feelings I felt to go away, to just leave me alone, and you know what? I found someone who took away all the bad feelings and she came in the form of a white powder – her name was Heroin. For 32 years I used this drug and it was the only thing that helped, and she never, ever judged me, not once. I did anything to get money to buy it and there was many years I spent in prison for stuff I did to get heroin. I lost a lot of things that meant so much. I lost contact with my family. I recently found out my father died on 6 March 2017; I didn’t speak to him for 17 years. I wanted to tell him about me being abused as a child so maybe he could understand why my life has been full of heartache and pain. Why I used heroin. Now I have lost that chance to tell my dad and to tell him I loved him no matter what.

In 2015, when the Royal Commission came out, I made a choice to take a chance to tell my story and I did, and since then I have stopped using drugs. They have stuck by me in the way of providing a counsellor whom I first built trust with, before I spoke about my abuse. I have been able to move on. I now know it wasn’t my fault it happened, I am able to smile again and be able to love, to trust people, and I am working on changing. I am 47 years old now but, hey, it’s never too late to change. I just wish something like the Royal Commission came out a long time ago. I am proof that getting it out does help as holding that type of stuff in wasn’t good. I lost so much meaningful relationships and just being a real dad to my kids, but now I will work on trying to get on track. I’m lucky I have a partner that sticks by me, just know I love you. I am also thankful of my ever-supportive counsellor, Deborah, from Interrelate.

But to anyone who is going through the same type of issues, please speak up. Tell someone, as holding it in and not talking about it only creates bigger problems long term. Look at me – I thought I had it under control, but geez how wrong was I. Things now just seem and do even feel better. I can now wake up smile, look into the mirror knowing that guy staring back is a good person, a real man, not afraid no more, and if I can get over this I can do anything at all. I have a long road ahead but with all support I now have I know I can and will change and I will try to help anyone in similar situations overcome the bad and I will stick by them just as people have stuck by me.

So once again thank you for Royal Commission and thank you for someone like Deborah from Interrelate and to everyone just know it’s OK.

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Collage Of Photographs Deborah Atkinson

Experiencing wonder, curiosity, challenges, sadness, stretching, frustration and joy – for me it has been a great privilege, inspiration and honour to walk alongside clients and colleagues in this journey of growth and renewal. Colouring In weather vortex bringing destruction and change… fear and confusion… aloneness… survival: Mellita Bate conception of resilience… time… and more time… and… even more time… grieve, assess… nurture and support; clean up… mourn… prune… remove… repair… the effect will be a visible reminder of history… adapting, restoring… seeking comfort and safety… trust… creating something new from Interrelate promotes self-care practises with their counsellors. I what has been endured… survived; growing around the ruins… being surprised by newness discovered began colouring in while sitting in the paddock with my dog. This has and kindness of others… everyday wisdom about my creation/child named… resilience become an important self-care strategy for me as I walk the journey with my Royal Commission clients.

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Poems Poems Trish C Trish C

Round Faces on A Moulded Stand Glenda Mears Poems Trish C I make these items for others’ journeys… for their healing. The faces depict feelings and if shaken have different sounds. I am an artist, but this is the social wellbeing part of my work.

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Kathy Jones

Sadness With Crying Eyes This is the first part of the journey – going through the sadness. Hopelessness Figures A lot of the time you do feel hopeless.

Darkness Skulls Picture With Flowers And Unicorn I don’t know why people don’t like skulls – they are always smiling. If you focus you find the secret garden.

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The Magic Green Hammock: A Story Wayne Illes

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I felt love, and I felt cared for, for the first time in my life when I was at my grandparents’ home in Jannali. The Self Portrait 2017 Magic Hammock was my place to escape Kim McCarthy into a world of make-believe. I was safe enough with my grandparents to dream, to grow as a child and see the beauty I am a 59-year-old lesbian woman from Lismore. During the Royal Commission I discovered my artistic of this world – away from state homes, talent and since then have produced many collages. This particular work illustrates the fact that I was away from abuse. physically and sexually abused by women at the state primary school in Queensland that I attended.

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Damian’s World Feb 1966 – Feb 2017 As the real world was too painful to love in, I went into my world, where there is no rape, drugging, starvation, whippings – no beatings and no Damian Koch children will lose their childhood. No children have to die at the hands of the ones that should be teaching and caring for us. I have only left my world to tell the Royal Commission what had happened to me. Now I am going My artwork shows the world I have lived in since nine years old when I was back to my world. Thanks for listening. in boarding school at 1966.

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Hope They Framed Prose Listen Now Jacqueline Dee Nick

Jacqueline Dee, Clinical Specialist Royal Commission Community The young and innocent Based Support Service, Sydney couldn’t yell. South

The Journey Tony Scott

I created this piece as an attempt to artistically Quote About Service document my journey from depression and negative Received thinking and out. This was aided by my counsellor, Jackie, and the Royal Commission, without whom I still Inmate Librarian may be there.

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Photos of ‘Indian Chout’ that James built James Lambert

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I built this to occupy my mind with something else while I was going through a court case suing the Queensland government regarding childhood sexual abuse. The Indian Chout is a hybrid they used to build in the ’30s for racing purposes.

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Nature’s Innocents Wayne Illes

This represents the way animals helped me as a child. Animals shifted my focus from the abuse onto the connection I had with the animals. The animals were a light, and gave me hope, as they reciprocate my care for them.

Moving Forward: Poem Boat On Water With Mountains And Tree Wayne Illes Wayne Illes

This picture depicts freedom. Freedom to sail, fresh salt air, peacefulness of the water, the strength of the mountains and trees. The boat is moving forward in the wind as I am moving forward in life.

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Hope Damian Koch

The Blue Wolf (Christian Brothers) chasing the rabbits (me and my friends) to the edge of the cliff. I yell out loud (E) and his friend (Royal Commission) is on the other side. He yells ‘Hop’. This is my last chance to live life again because there is hope in the air if I jump. This shows my strength and resilience and a journey of hope after 50 years of no hope. I would like to donate this limited-edition artwork to show my thanks to the Royal Commission and Interrelate over four years Number R007427.

Poem Anonymous

I am a 60-year-old woman who suffered child abuse and many years of addiction and behavioural problems. At the age of 40, through God’s benevolent grace and self-effort, I was able to drop my Bird Of addictions and gradually learn to love Paradise myself and understand my worth. I have Damian Koch been sober for 20 years. I meditate daily. I am now a happy, hopeful person who is at peace and in a loving relationship. This shows my total freedom in life. To be a bird of paradise, not to be left in hell on my ninth birthday 1922 at boarding school. “DK Love the Bird of Paradise and My Mum”

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Looking For A Tear Damian Koch

It’s me searching my mind to find a tear that was lost 50 years ago. It was a tear of happiness from my childhood days. Drawn with both hands at the same time.

Mandala Red & Green Flower

Butterfly Spirit Wayne Illes

The painting represents my core belief in God and spiritual life that gives purpose and has kept me going. The beach and water represent my habit of walking along the beach and swimming in the water for cleansing and healing and reviving my soul. Mandala Yellow & Pink Flowers

Kathy Jones Starting a mandala from the middle outwards helps to let go of something.

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Dr Edward Duyker is the eldest of eight children born in in 1955. He was a victim of abuse at St Joseph’s Primary School Malvern, between 1964 and 1966. Although he failed his second-last Memoir Extracts year of high school, he went on to earn a Ph.D from the at the age of 26.

After working as an intelligence analyst with the Department of Defence, in Canberra, he settled in Sydney as an independent historian in 1984. Between 1996 and 2002 he also served as the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Mauritius in .

Edward Duyker has published eighteen books, in Australia, India, Scandinavia, New Zealand, France and the United States. He has won several literary prizes and, in 2000, was made a Chevalier de l’Ordre des Palmes Academiques by the French Government. In 2003, he was awarded the Centenary Medal by the Australian Government Portrait Of and, in 2004, the Medal of the Order of Australia. Edward Duyker By In 2007, he was elected a Fellow of the Australian Lee Narraway 2014 Academy of the Humanities. He is an Honorary Dr Edward Duyker Professor of the Australian Catholic University and an Honorary Senior Lecturer, in the Department of French and Francophone Studies, School of Languages and Cultures, at the .

He and his wife Susan have been married for 35 years and have two sons and two grandsons.

School Photo Of Edward Duyker

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What Measure Five Works On Paper Under Gregory G. O’Meara Glass Mixed Media David Gallagher This piece was written to spit the venom required to bring understanding to the Marist Brothers and to bring power back to the author.

I have been a long-time art student, and moving into abstract-expressionist work It was first delivered at a meeting prior to negotiations with representatives from I feel helps me to explore, in the art, the emotions of pain that I and so many the Marist Bothers and legal representatives of the Catholic Church’s insurers, by other ‘out of home care’ children went through. the author during November 2017 Also, living in the beauty and wonder of the Northern Rivers Landscape I aim to capture the feelings relating to what I see in my other work. 40 years prior, the author attended what was then St Joseph’s College Lismore, Finally we are getting government support after a long struggle. now Trinity College

With courage you will gain strength.

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The Shift OAH Flynn’s Beach At Sunrise Bruce Bentley “THE SHIFT” is interactive poetry, as (you and me) WE DO SOMETHING. The Plug itself is clean, but maybe forever tainted from holding all the crud, slime, gut and gunk. I need you to be a part of this with me. Go ahead and pull the plug – so together WE PULL THIS PREDATOR PLUG and watch all the old harmfilled programming drain away……. The time between 3am and 6am is the absolute worst time with PICTURE THIS, As We Step Into Our Renewed Lives with Hope and nightmares which would cause me to wake up screaming. This photo was Our own Breath taken during this time at 5am and the photo has broken the cycle. Our own Voice Our own Actions, with Our own Dreams to be filled from the inside; with Love and a Grateful Heart

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