Mothers across the land would warn their naughty children of being sent to the Orphanage; my mother was amongst the many who were there because they were legally "illegitimate", punished for being born out of wedlock.

3 months to breast feed before giving up baby forever.
Unwed mothers and baby home for Catholic women.

Regular punishments involved some horrific abuses. Spirited, independent personalities like my mum had it worse from the Nuns who were manic preachers and beaters, aimed at breaking the child's spirit.

FOOT WHIPPING BY THE HOLIER THAN THOU.

WHY THE HATEFUL ATTITUDES TOWARDS CHILDREN OF UNWED MOTHERS? THE CRUEL ABUSE? (So this was why we were not baptised in the Catholic Church).
THE ROYAL COMMISSION INTO THE INSTITUTIONAL CHILD ABUSE IN AUSTRALIA HAS SHOWN THE PILES OF DIRT UNDER THE CARPETS OF THE SINFUL, CRIMINAL CLASS OF CLERGY.
Guardian reports institutional-responses-to-child-sexual-abuse

NAZARETH HOUSE BIRMINGHAM (ABOVE)
ST.JOHN'S ORPHANAGE THURGOONA NSW

All over the civilised Christian world the children suffered.

Deuteronomy 23:2 - A bastard shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD; even to his tenth generation shall he not enter into the congregation of the LORD.* KJB

NAZARETH HOUSE REDNAL DEMOLISHED after abuses
of children revealed.

MY MOTHER TOLD ME:

In the 1950's a regular punishment for the girls at St. John's Roman Catholic Orphanage, Thurgoona was to be foot whipped by the Sisters of Mercy nuns.

"If you were caught dragging your feet, Sister Rita with the help of another nun would sit you down with one nun holding your legs up so the other could whip the souls of your feet with a leather strap or cane."

Ward of NSW 1950-1959
'Take me Home again Kathleen"

I visualised what she was saying and was horrified: But that's torture - didn't they do that kind of thing in Changi, or, or in Iraq in Egypt under U.S. rendition?

The girls of St. John's were there because they didn't have parents or family to look after them; too poor, dead or illegitimate like my mum.
Born during the bombings of the Nazi blitz on Birmingham possibly Nan was left to suffer as a consequence of her original sin, and her daughter.

According to Wikipedia, Foot whipping, variously known as bastinado, falanga (phalanga), and falaka (falaqa), is a form of corporal punishment in which the soles of the feet are beaten with an object such as a cane, rod or club, a stout leather bullwhip, or a flexible bat of heavy rubber. It is sometimes favoured as a form of torture because, although extremely painful, it leaves few physical marks.
The prisoner may be immobilized before application of the beating by tying, securing the feet in stocks, locking the legs into an elevated position, or hanging upside-down. The Persian term falaka referred to a wooden plank which was used to secure the feet prior to beating.
Foot whipping is effective due to the clustering of nerve endings in the feet and the structure of the foot, with its numerous small bones and tendons. The wounds inflicted are particularly painful and take a long time to heal, rendering it a particularly brutal and cruel punishment.
This punishment has, at various times, been used in China, as well as the Middle East. It was used throughout the Ottoman Empire.
Now I have to add, pubescent girls in 1950's Australia suffered as a matter of course the malice of the Sisters of Mercy at the orphanage. Did the fee-paying 'legitimate' children who attended their schools around Australia experience corporal punishment like this?

LEGISLATIONChild Welfare Act 1939 (1939 - 1987)

State of New South Wales

From: 1939
To: 1987
Categories: Legislation

Summary

The Child Welfare Act 1939 repealed the Child Welfare Act 1923. It was similar to previous child welfare legislation, but much stronger. It expanded the definition of a neglected child to include children who were destitute, whose parents were unfit to retain the child, or who without lawful excuse was not attending school regularly (truancy). The definition of a ward was expanded to include children in state control, committed to an institution, or resident in a hostel for expectant or nursing mothers, meaning unmarried mothers could lose their rights to make decisions. It enabled the Minister to order a child's adoption.

After the Aborigines Protection (Amendment) Act 1940, Aboriginal children were removed under the Child Welfare Act 1939 and subsequent child welfare legislation.

SOLITARY CONFINEMENT - Today we say 'Time-Out' as a method of teaching your child a lesson, for example hitting or biting you when a toddler. It's usually brief, but effective to show the behaviour is not acceptable.

Even if there were 5 nuns to a hundred kids - was it understandable to lock my mother and her friends in a small room with a bed all day, all night, with a tray of food and drink slipped to the child. My mother said she was locked in there for days on end, especially when she found the letters from her mother when cleaning the Reverend Mother's office.

She challenged them - I have a mother and you didn't tell me. Her name is the same as mine, Kathleen, and I want to write to her.

They tried to break the spirit of the children - they were successful in disempowering them in many ways throughout their life, but they were always bold in speaking against the injustices metered out to them.

Re-Union with Mum thanks to funding distributed by Childs Migrant Trust

MY MOTHER TOLD ME in 2013, about severe punishments and torture being a part of life in a Catholic orphanage during the 1950's and how the Government's officers did little to hear the voices of the victims. A social worker would visit once a year and ask how you were, was there anything you wanted to tell them whilst you were sat on a bench with a nun on either side of you.
If you said anything you knew you would end up being locked-up for days.

WHEN SOME M.P. SAYS THEY ARE SOCIALLY CONSERVATIVE this is a signal to Mum and I they are most likely hypocrites supporting a hierarchy which creates policies that do more harm than good for women and children.

Their so called sanctity of life sanctions which makes a criminal of a woman having an abortion or prevents family planning services in foreign aid are current examples.

They can send troops to war based on dubious rhetoric or send refugees to tropical prison islands and not concern themselves about the welfare of individuals. They did this in the 17th century and they do the same today.

When they take the little bastards away from their mothers all they have to do is apologise for past policies and their impacts. In effect the end justified the means. Always better when out of sight out of mind of the electorate.