At its peak in the early 1970s, almost 200 babies per week were adopted in Australia. It’s impossible to know how many of these adoptions involved coercion, but we do know that it was a time many believed single women were incapable of looking after their children.
In this episode, Amelia Oberhardt looks at how this system was allowed to operate, and what lead to forced adoption ending. 
If you would like to share your story, email secretswekeep@sca.com.au
Forced Adoption Support Service: 1800 21 03 13

Featured:

Patricia Farrar - Mother, PhD
Shurlee Swain - Emeritus Professor, Australian Catholic University 
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Shame, Lies & Family - In the child’s best interest

Each season, Secrets We Keep investigates a different Australian secret.  
Shame Lies &amp; Family: A mystery photo of Amelia Oberhardt’s mum exposes the practice of shotgun marriages, forced adoption, and quiet abortions carried out in Australia until the 1980s  
Nest of Traitors: Joey Watson is pulled into the world of espionage, attempting to track down an Australian spy who turned to work for the enemy during the Cold War 

Society & Culture

Personal Journals

History

Philosophy

Places & Travel

Documentary

Joey travels to Melbourne to try and meet a living mole suspect to finally get some answers.
If you have any feedback or information about this story you can email secretswekeep@sca.com.au or you could send Joey a letter GPO Box 22, Sydney NSW 2000. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nest of Traitors - Episode 7 - Honey badger

A KGB defector directs Joey towards a former British politician. Joey investigates and finds the names of four potential moles who operated inside ASIO during the Cold War. He begins searching for the four suspects. 

If you have any feedback or information about this story you can email  secretswekeep@sca.com.au or you could send Joey a letter GPO Box 22, Sydney NSW 2000. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nest of Traitors - Episode 6 - The suspects

A rendezvous leads Joey to an apartment where a source tells him that more information about the suspected moles might lie in a top secret government report. When he realises only the Prime Minister’s office can authorise the report to be released, Joey takes his questions all the way to the top.

If you have any feedback or information about this story you can email  secretswekeep@sca.com.au or you could send Joey a letter GPO Box 22, Sydney NSW 2000. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nest of Traitors - Episode 5 - Looking for moles

Joey meets a man who investigated ASIO in the 1970s, to find out what made the spy agency vulnerable to being infiltrated by the KGB. ASIO was directed to search for traitors, but the internal investigations were inconclusive.

If you have any feedback or information about this story you can email  secretswekeep@sca.com.au or you could send Joey a letter GPO Box 22, Sydney NSW 2000. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nest of Traitors - Episode 4 - Cold War Warriors

Joey drives into the middle of the desert to find out why Australia became a target for the KGB. He learns that Australia was a bigger player in the Cold War than he’d ever imagined, and how the mole could’ve had access to secrets from its powerful Western allies.

If you have any feedback or information about this story you can email  secretswekeep@sca.com.au or you could send Joey a letter GPO Box 22, Sydney NSW 2000. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Shame, Lies & Family - In the child’s best interest

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