Madeline Hayman-Reber and fellow NITV journalist/producer Sylvia Rowley took out the media category of the Australian Human Rights Commission Award at Sydney’s Westin Hotel on Friday.

The gong recognised their work in revealing that children, including Aboriginals, who were taken into State care were given criminal records simply for being ‘abandoned’ or ‘neglected’ by their parents. The convictions stayed with them for many years, deeply affecting their lives. In some cases the record counted against them in future court appearances. 

Victorian Greens MP Nina Springle described the “injustice” as “a lifelong thorn in the side of people who were abandoned through no fault of their own.”

The documentary, Guilty of Being Stolen, aired on NITV’s program The Point in March and prompted the Victorian government to expunge the records. Other states are yet to follow suit.

Ms Hayman-Reber, a Gomeroi woman who worked for The Goulburn Post for several years from 2010, said the honour was hugely rewarding but she felt happiest for the people it had helped.

“When I heard the records had been expunged, I started crying,” she said.

“Uncle Talgium (Chocko Edwards) told me his whole story and it was very sad the way he was treated. The records were expunged but there was no compensation or apology.”

Every child, black or white, who was put into State care in Victoria up until 1992 was also automatically charged under the Children’s Welfare Act. The law did not differentiate between those children put into care for their ‘protection’ and those who had committed offences. Similar legislation applied in the various states. 

Auntie Vickie Roach, of Wollongong, for example, had a criminal conviction for ‘neglect’ from age two. She was given up by her mother into state care and then fostered out to a white family.

“So every time she ran away from her family and was picked up by police, that went on her record too,” Ms Hayman-Reber said.

The charges counted against her when, aged 17, she was convicted of a first-time drug offence and sent to an adult prison.

Ms Hayman-Reber said she and her colleague spent a great deal of time researching the various state legislation, and talking to people in Victoria, NSW and Queensland.

Their work is continuing, with talks as recently as two weeks ago with NSW Greens MP David Shoebridge about also expunging the records in NSW.

The story also won the Best News and Current Affairs category of the First Nations Media Awards two weeks ago.

Ms Hayman-Reber said the issue was close to home as her father was also placed into foster care as a child. She is planning to access his records.

A love of writing from an early age has spurred her career. After The Goulburn Post she worked briefly for Fairfax’s regional digital division in Sydney before moving back to Goulburn and joining Deadly Vibe as a journalist on its magazine. The Aboriginal public relations, events and media group was led by Gavin Jones, who died tragically in 2014.

Ms Hayman-Reber described Mr Jones as a “huge inspiration.”

“He was an amazing man who cared so much about the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community. He always supported and encouraged me to be the best journalist I could for our mob and I was very lucky to have known him. (After he died) I decided I didn’t want to do anything unless it helped people,” she said.

After briefly studying biomedical science at the University of Canberra, she realised it wasn’t for her and applied to become a political correspondent at NITV. Although she missed out due to a lack of television experience, NITV employed her behind the scenes as associate producer. Following this she became the station’s Victorian correspondent. She’s been working with them for the past two and a half years, doing stories and occasionally news reading. She returns to Goulburn where her mother still lives every three months.

“I’m very lucky to have got where I have,” she said.

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