Many Threads Exhibit
I am continually moved by what I see, hear and learn out at the Ration Shed. To date, I have run over 25 Education Tours out to the Ration Shed and each time, I learn something new. However, the one thing that remains constant, is how emotionally challenging, yet rewarding the visits are.
This trip saw a full bus with 50 people from various backgrounds and work places. Child care Educators, Community members from Ipswich and Purga, Descendants of family from Cherbourg, Church groups, Teachers, General public, University students, Health professionals, you name it, the group was as dynamic as the ever changing displays. One couple onboard said it was the 9th time they have come on tour with us, that’s right 9 times!! They said they keep discovering different things each time they come and the exhibits change too – “We are never bored and we love seeing the Aunties and community”.
The exhibit that I personally focused on this trip was a new installation called “Many Threads”, which recounts the personal histories of women who were forced into a life of servitude, some as young as 14 being sent out to work on homesteads as slaves and domestics. Personal accounts as well as those retold by the next generation captured what life was like “Under the Act”. A common thread however was their resilience and determination to give their children a better life and opportunities than what they were afforded.
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