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Australian True Crime

Australia’s Forgotten Mothers and Children

Australian True Crime

Meshel Laurie

True Crime

4.6979 Ratings

🗓️ 21 September 2025

⏱️ 73 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Australia’s dark history of illegal forced adoptions left thousands of mothers and children traumatised.


Somebody’s Daughter is a new podcast uncovering these hidden stories and amplifying the voices of survivors.


It’s co-created by award-winning author and journalist Megan Norris, who joins us today on Australian True Crime.


You can listen to Somebody's Daughter here, or wherever you get your podcasts.


You can visit Origins Australia (Forced Adoption Support Network) here.


Click here to subscribe to ATC Plus on Apple Podcasts and access all ATC episodes early and ad-free, as well as exclusive bonus episodes.


Join our Facebook Group here.


Do you have information regarding any of the cases discussed on this podcast? Please report it on the Crime Stoppers website or by calling 1800 333 000.


For Support: 

Lifeline  on 13 11 14

13 YARN on 13 92 76 (24/7 crisis support phone line for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples)

1800RESPECT: 1800 737 732

Blue Knot Helpline: 1300 657 380


CREDITS:

Host: Meshel Laurie

Guest: Megan Norris

Executive Producer/Editor: Matthew Tankard

This episode contains extra content from The ABC.


GET IN TOUCH:

https://www.australiantruecrimethepodcast.com/

Follow the show on Instagram @australiantruecrimepodcast and Facebook 

Send us a question to have played on the show by recording a voice message here.

Email the show at [email protected] 


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

From the late 1930s to the early 80s, tens of thousands of babies were removed from

0:07.0

their mainly unmarried young mothers. Behind each of these faces is a harrowing story.

0:14.0

I was 17. You don't know where your baby is. You haven't seen your baby. No one comes to visit you. No flowers.

0:22.6

I was 50 years old when I received a phone call

0:26.6

to tell me that along with my brother, I was also adopted.

0:30.6

I only found out four years ago that I was Aboriginal.

0:39.6

When award-winning author and journalist Megan Norris turns her attention to a story,

0:44.8

we know the results will be thorough and compassionate.

0:48.6

Megan's latest investigation can be heard on the podcast, Somebody's Daughter.

0:53.2

It's about the far-reaching conspiracy to remove and traffic the babies of Australian women

0:58.2

deemed unworthy of parenthood, right up until the 1980s.

1:03.4

We spoke to one of these women in episode 263 of Australian True Crime,

1:07.7

which we're reissuing this week.

1:10.4

And Megan Norris joins us on this episode to talk about what she learned from meeting many women who lived through similar circumstances.

1:18.4

This is Australian True Crime.

1:20.0

We acknowledge the traditional owners of the land on which this podcast is created, the Wurundri Woioi Warang people of the Koolin Nation.

1:33.0

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2:03.9

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