Jessie, We Hear You Crying

In 1906 rural Dalby, the local community was outraged when it was reported that a white child was living in a ‘black’s camp’. The authorities issued a court order and, at the tender age of seven, blonde-haired, blue-eyed Jessie was removed from the only family she had ever known.

Decades later in Brisbane, Jessie’s daughter and granddaughter (Joan and Valerie) were puzzled by Jessie’s reluctance to discuss her past. Did she really have so few memories of her childhood or was it just too painful to recall? Whatever the reason, it was time to solve the mystery and restore Jessie’s identity. So, in 1982, Valerie, with Joan’s help, embarked on a journey of discovery, involving years of research, to uncover the truth – that her beloved grandma Jessie was that little girl.

In Jessie, we hear you crying, Valerie reveals the extent of her grandmother’s suffering through a collection of police reports, historical records and personal anecdotes. This tells a story of cruelty and prejudice – themes that occur far too often in Australia’s social history.

Jessie, finally your voice is being heard …