The State’s first memorial to honour children harmed in institutional care has been restored and returned to a place of prominence outside the WA Museum Boola Bardip.
Attorney General, John Quigley said a ceremony of rededication for the Unfolding Lives sculpture was held at the Museum.
He said the sculpture, also known as the Chatterbox, was the State’s first memorial to honour the children.
“Commissioned after a Senate inquiry into the past treatment of these children, the memorial was first unveiled at the Perth Cultural Centre in 2010,” Mr Quigley said.
“The distinctive artwork by sculptor, Judith Forrest resembles a child’s paper chatterbox, a fortune-telling game that reveals hidden messages.”
He said care leavers advocated for the memorial to be reinstalled after it was removed and stored during the Museum’s redevelopment.
“The Departments of Justice, Communities, Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries, and the City of Perth worked with the care leavers to have the restored Chatterbox returned to the Cultural Centre precinct less than 50 metres from its original location,” Mr Quigley said.
He said the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries had contributed $140,000 towards restoring and repainting the surface of the memorial.
Minister for Culture and the Arts, David Templeman thanked the victim-survivors for their understanding and patience during the redevelopment and restoration process.
“I am pleased that it is now in a permanent and accessible location so the broader community can engage with it and understand the importance of the stories it tells,” Mr Templeman said.
“This restored memorial is a valuable contribution to the cultural significance of the Perth Cultural Centre.”
