David Clark
29/09/2021
The Aboriginal children of Carrolup Native Settlement received their first newspaper coverage when Max Praed published an article entitled Aboriginal Children Show Amazing Skill in Art in the Sunday Times of 13 July 1947. The reporter first became interested when teacher John Placid Stokes showed him some of […]
28/09/2021
One of the most amazing things that happened at Carrolup Native Settlement was the ability of Noel White to create an environment in his classroom that literally transformed his Aboriginal pupils. Quite simply, their behaviours and emotions changed markedly in a positive manner and their creative abilities were […]
27/09/2021
I continue the series of films made by Mike Liu and I when we spent a day with Professor Marion Kickett, Director of the Centre for Aboriginal Studies at Curtin University, in York in September 2103. Marion is a Noongar from the Balardong language group. The first six […]
23/09/2021
In a previous blog, I provided a list of basic needs that we as humans need satisfying in order to function normally. These needs were not satisfied for the children of Carrolup in the environment created by the Department of Native Affairs prior to the arrival of Noel […]
22/09/2021
I first became interested in Aboriginal culture and in Indigenous healing after reading Judy Atkinson’s wonderful book Trauma Trails: Recreating Song Lines – The Transgenerational Effects of Trauma in Indigenous Australia. I developed the educational initiative Sharing Culture which aimed to help Indigenous peoples heal from historical trauma. That website […]
22/09/2021
In two previous blogs, which you can find here and here, I have described the book What Happened to You?: Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing, written by Bruce Perry and Oprah Winfrey. It’s one of the most important books I have read in the many years I’ve […]
21/09/2021
I continue my article focused on the process of healing that occurred at Carrolup Native Settlement. These sections are taken from my eBook Connection: Aboriginal Child Artists Captivate Europe. ‘Prior to November 1946, the children had been closeted away on the Settlement. However, they were taken to the […]
20/09/2021
Some of you will know one of the main reasons I became involved with the Carrolup story was because of my interest in the healing of trauma and its consequences (e.g. mental health problems, addiction). I was looking for a story about the healing of trauma amongst Aboriginal […]
15/09/2021
‘Oprah Winfrey and leading child psychiatrist and neuroscientist Bruce Perry, MD, PhD explore the impact of childhood trauma on who we become, the decisions we make, and how healing must start with one question ‘what happened to you?’ in anticipation of a new co-authored book of the same […]
14/09/2021
In a previous blog post, I described the pivotal role that teacher Noel White played in the development of the art of the Aboriginal children at Carrolup Native Settlement. I have also written about Noel White’s life from the time he came to Western Australia from the Eastern […]
13/09/2021
Some of you may remember that I gave a talk at the Royal Western Australian Historical Society on 11 September 2020. I was also asked to write an article for Early Days, the Annual Journal of the Society. Last month, John Stanton and I attended the Launch of […]
18/05/2021
Here is part of a chapter from my book Connection: Aboriginal Child Artists Captivate Europe which focuses on a newspaper article written by John Stokes after Carrolup Native Settlement school had been closed. “In Perth, John Stokes, the teacher and headmaster who has done so much to promote the […]
13/05/2021
I have another website, Recovery Stories, which focuses on recovery from addiction and mental health problems. One section of the website, labelled Healing, takes you on a journey that focuses on the healing of intergenerational trauma. I have arranged this section so that a person can start with […]
10/05/2021
![Imagined corroboree by Reynold Hart, watercolour and ink on paper, 25 x 30cm, c.1948. Stan, Melvie and Gael Phillips Collection, 1947 - 65, Berndt Museum of Anthropology. [WU7255]](https://www.carrolup.info/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/WU2775-960x720.jpg)
In a previous blog, I described how the children’s art was initially just one aspect of a school curriculum that used drawing as the necessary means of communication in almost every subject. Early in 1947, Noel introduced a scheme where he and his wife spent time with the children five […]
04/05/2021
In yesterday’s Story Blog post, I talked about one of the best books I have read, particularly in the area in which I work. What Happened to You?: Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing by Bruce D. Perry MD, PhD and Oprah Winfrey is informative, inspiring and deeply-moving. In […]
03/05/2021
This weekend I read one of the best books I have ever read, certainly in one of the areas in which I work. The book, What Happened to You?: Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing, is written by Bruce D. Perry M.D., Ph.D. and Oprah Winfrey. The book is […]
28/04/2021
In a previous blog, I have described part of the role played by School Inspector Charles ‘Sammy’ Crabbe in the development of the Carrolup children’s drawings and their schoolwork. I have also summarised the pivotal role that teacher Noel White played in connecting with the traumatised Aboriginal children, […]
26/04/2021
In a recent Healing blog post, I described how I spent the first 25 years of my career as a neuroscientist studying brain function. After working in Sweden and the USA, I returned to the UK to set up my own neuroscience laboratory in the Department of Psychology, […]