Tardun, Western Australia

Tardun
Western Australia
Tardun
Coordinates 28°47′35″S 115°45′02″E / 28.79306°S 115.75056°E / -28.79306; 115.75056Coordinates: 28°47′35″S 115°45′02″E / 28.79306°S 115.75056°E / -28.79306; 115.75056
Population 346 (2006 Census)[1]
Established 1913
Postcode(s) 6628
Elevation 330 m (1,083 ft)
Location
  • 427 km (265 mi) North of Perth
  • 36 km (22 mi) South East of Mullewa
  • 111 km (69 mi) East of Geraldton
LGA(s) Shire of Mullewa
Federal Division(s) Durack

Tardun in a small town in the Mid West region of Western Australia.

The townsite is located along the Mullewa to Wongan Hills railway line. The location of the town was decided in 1913 when the route of the railway was being planned. The name of the town was originally Undatarra when it was gazetted in 1913, it was then changed to Tardun in 1925 and lots were surveyed in 1927.[2]

Education

The Christian Brothers Agricultural School, which closed in 2009,[3] was located in Tardun. In testimony before a British parliamentary committee investigating British child migrants sent to Australia in the late 1990s, one boy spoke of the criminal abuse he received from Catholic priests at Tardun. He testified that several of them competed to see who would be the first to rape him 100 times. They liked his blue eyes, so he repeatedly beat himself in the hope they would change colour. As parliamentarians reflected at the time, the term "sexual abuse" seemed wholly inadequate given the awfulness of his experience.[4][5]

In December 2014, a royal commission found that "Christian Brothers leaders knew of allegations of sexual abuse of children at four WA orphanages, including Tardun, and failed to manage the homes to prevent the systemic ill-treatment for decades."[6][7] It also found that the institution was concerned by the cost of legal proceedings, and "there was no sentiment of recognising the suffering of the survivors."[8]

Further reading

References

  1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Tardun (State Suburb)". 2006 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 14 October 2008.
  2. Western Australian Land Information Authority. "History of country town names – T". Retrieved 2008-10-14.
  3. "Welcome". Christian Brothers Agricultural School, Tardun. Retrieved 15 November 2009.
  4. "Christian Brothers' Agricultural School, Tardun". Northwest Catholic Education. Retrieved 15 November 2009.
  5. Valenti, Karen (8 November 2009). "The Boys from Tardun". In My Community. Community Newspaper Group. Retrieved 15 November 2009.
  6. Banks, Amanda, Legal Affairs Editor. "Christian Brothers cop blast", The Weekend West, 20-21 December 2014, p.11
  7. Report of Case Study 11 Media release, at official website, 19 December 2014
  8. Report of Case Study no. 11 - Congregation of Christian Brothers in Western Australia response to child sexual abuse at Castledare Junior Orphanage, St Vincent’s Orphanage Clontarf, St Mary’s Agricultural School Tardun and Bindoon Farm School PDF at official web site, 19 December 2014, p. 13 (folio 8)
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