Figure 1.--Here are some of the children of a post-World War II orphasn transport to Australia (1948). Notice that tghey are mostly boys, but there were also a few girls. Unlike the conntinental countries, there was no post-War economic miracle in Britain.

Some 160,000-230,000 British children, mostly boys, from the mid-19th century until 1967, were transported from Britain to a 'better life' in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Rhodesia under the British child migrant program. There is no exact accounting. Most of the children were English, but there is no detailed information on their origins. We believe that the children were drawn from all the various parts of the United Kingdom. The children were mostly pre-teens, but there were some 13 and 14 year olds. They were children from deprived backgrounds who were supported by some form of social or charitable care. While the children were called orphans. This was usually not the case. Most of the children actually had living parents -- unmaried mothers and unidentified fathers. Single mothers were basically forced to give up their children for adoption because of poverty or the social stigma unmarried status. Most of tke mothers truly believed that transport meant the chance for a better life. They were usually given no details about what was happening to the children. Siblings were involved which were often separated. The otherv family were commonly not told. The largest number were sent to Australia. We do not have a complete chronology. We believe that most of the transports took place after the turn of the 20th century. There were substantial transports after World War II because of the difficult economic conditions. Britain did not experience economic miracles like Germany and the other continental countries. The younger children were told that they were orphans.

Sources

Corbett, Gail H. Barnardo Children in Canada: Photo Album

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