The Australian Monument to the Great Irish Famine

One Irish orphan

A particularly significant connection is to the UNESCO World Heritage–listed Hyde Park Barracks, where the Australian Monument to the Great Irish Famine stands. My maternal great-great-grandmother, Julia Loftus, was one of the Irish Famine orphans brought to Australia under the Earl Grey scheme. This program saw young Irish women from overcrowded workhouses transported to Australia to address a shortage of domestic servants in the colony.

Julia arrived in Sydney on the ship Panama in January 1850, aged 19. She had been in a workhouse in County Mayo and both of her parents were deceased. After the long journey to Australia, Julia was placed in the Female Immigration Depot at the Hyde Park Barracks and trained to be a servant. She was released into servitude in Sydney. Her name is inscribed on the memorial and her story continues to resonate across generations of my family. Julia was the grandmother of my grandfather Austin Harrington, who held a deep pride in his Irish heritage and a critical view of the circumstances under which his ancestors arrived in Australia – whether through transportation or assisted migration.

A universal message

My interest in the Irish Famine memorial at the Hyde Park Barracks led me to connect with artists Hossein and Angela Valamanesh, who created the work in 1999. I was particularly moved by Hossein’s ability – as an artist of Iranian descent – to bring such profound empathy to a story outside of his own cultural heritage. He once told me, ‘The idea of not being able to feed your children is the worst possible fate that could befall anyone’. That sentiment, he said, was universal. Our conversations left a lasting impression and ultimately inspired me to curate Hossein and Angela into the 2022 Adelaide Biennial of Australian Art at the Art Gallery of South Australia. Tragically, Hossein passed away just two weeks before the exhibition opened, but with Angela’s collaboration, we were able to honour and realise their shared vision.

An annual commemoration

Every year in August, the Great Irish Famine Commemoration Committee gather at the Barracks to commemorate an Gorta Mór (the Great Hunger). It is both a solemn and often a joyous occasion, underlined by immense pride in the legacy of the famine orphans and what they overcame. The presence of staff from the Consulate-General of Ireland at these commemorations serves as a powerful reminder that the bond between Australia and Ireland remains strong, enduring across time and generations. It is important that Ireland has also not forgot these daughters.