Australian True Crime21 Sep 2025

Re-Issue: Forced adoptions in Australia, could it happen again?

This episode was originally published on June 19th, 2022.

Australia in the mid twentieth century has a dark history of forced adoption. Women who did not fit the moral expectations of the time (usually those who were young and unmarried) had their children taken from them at birth, often with little to no information left behind for them to be reunited.

Our guest today, Lily Arthur, is one story of many, and it is an absolutely heartbreaking one. It is also a story of determination and grit, and the long fight Lily went through to seek justice for what happened to her and many others.

Links:

Lilyarthur.com

Lily's book: Dirty Laundry: The Crimes A Country Tried To Hide

QLD Judgement can be found here: https://www.queenslandjudgments.com.au/caselaw/qsc/2004/456

Origins SPSA (Supporting people separated by adoption): https://www.originsnsw.com/

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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: Lily Arthur

Executive Producer/Editor: Matthew Tankard

GET IN TOUCH:

https://www.australiantruecrimethepodcast.com/

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