Cranbrook Place: A Memorial to Remembrance

Cranbrook Place, located in the Brisbane suburb of West End, is a site of significant historical and cultural importance. It serves as a memorial park dedicated to honoring the heritage of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. However, the site's tranquil setting belies a past marked by sorrow and injustice.From 1900 to 1906, Cranbrook Place was the location of the Cranbrook Aboriginal Girls Home. This institution housed young Aboriginal girls, some as young as five, who were forcibly removed from their families and communities. They were often trained and put to work as domestic servants in white households. The girls were discouraged from practicing their culture and speaking their languages and were forced to adopt 'white' ways. The Home was intended to be a training depot and refuge, but in reality, it was a place of cruelty, loneliness, and profound loss. Many of the girls became pregnant while working as domestic servants, and their babies were often taken away soon after birth.Following the Royal Commission into the Stolen Generation in 1997, Cranbrook Place was set aside as a place of commemoration. Today, only the concrete steps of the original house remain. The Brisbane City Council erected a plaque outlining the story of the place. Link-Up (QLD) has taken primary responsibility for the site's care and holds a special ceremony every year during Sorry Week. Cranbrook Place is now a place where descendants can reconnect with their heritage.