Determined to acquire a good education against the odds, he put himself through university and became what he said many never expected – an articulate person.

The former Gill Memorial Boys Home resident used that skill to maximum effect in later years, advocating for those who couldn’t speak up for themselves.

Mr Luthy’s work in doing so has earned him a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the Australia Day Honours list.

The Birkdale, Queensland man was recognised as a member of the Care Leavers Network of Australia (CLAN) since 2003, president from 2010-2014 and life member since 2015. He was also honoured for his community work in Queensland, including as a volunteer English language tutor to refugees and his contribution to education as a school and TAFE teacher.

“It’s a bit cliched but I feel over-awed, humbled and thankful,” Mr Luthy said on Friday.

“I feel it’s not just for me but recognition of all the kids at Gill and Goulburn generally.” 

Mr Luthy was instrumental in securing an international apology from the Salvation Army in 2010 for the abuse inflicted on children in their care, including at the Gill home. He has also pursued installation of recognition plaques for these residents at the former Auburn Street facility and in Victoria Park, the latter in cooperation with the council.

“I really feel almost like a citizen of Goulburn,” he said.

“...Goulburn was the first city in Australia to do any of this so I feel I’ve contributed to its history. The history books failed to mention these homes but if you wrote one now, they would be an integral part of the city. You can’t ignore it.”

In order to mature, he argued the city needed to take more notice of its institutional care past.

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Mr Luthy came to Gill in 1965 after his mother died and his father abandoned the family. He spent three years there, enduring constant “verbal, physical, emotional and psychological abuse” at the hands of Salvation Army officers, he told the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in 2014.

Over the past 20 years he has advocated for other former residents at Gill and elsewhere, seeking recompense and recognition.

“There was a certain perception that because you were in a home, you were stupid,” Mr Luthy said.

“Many were denied an education and that was a disadvantage. People left these homes and often didn’t have a place to stay. I was in that boat and it came to a point where I decided I had to do something. I couldn’t keep blaming the past.”

Equipped with several degrees he wrote submissions for former residents who “felt threatened” by the sight of a Salvation Army uniform and had become “hermits” due to their experience. He helped secure compensation and then turned his attention to the plaques. These would recognise not just boys but the many girls who spent time in institutional care.

In 2010, he stood in Parliament House and responded to the Army’s apology, which he was not permitted to see in advance. Mr Luthy received a standing ovation.

“It’s been incredibly satisfying to do but also incredibly frustrating to fight bureaucracy and an organisation like this,” he said of his advocacy work.

“It’s been stressful and has taken a toll on me but I’m deeply humbled that I’ve been recognised. 

“Hopefully I’ve helped to change Goulburn and highlight its history because a city that can’t recognise that can’t mature.”

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