For generations of women and girls, the Girls’ Dormitory was a place of profound and often painful experiences. The building was burned to the ground by fire in 1997; however, the legacy endures.

This exhibition, housed in the remaining Boys dormitory building, honours the strength, resilience and stories of the women, girls, and families whose lives were shaped by the dormitory system and Aboriginal Protection Acts.

Originally known as the Stopford Home for Aboriginal Girls after Home Secretary James Stopford, the dormitory was once the largest building in Cherbourg, then called Barambah. Encircled by barbed wire, the women and girls lived under constant surveillance, harsh punishments, and the threat of removal from community. Later, strict routines and control mechanisms replaced the wire – the ringing of a bell dictating every moment of the girls’ lives.

Most of the girls were taken from their families and placed in this institutional setting. Their daily lives were regimented, with minimal schooling and long hours of domestic labour. They scrubbed floors, cooked, cleaned and sewed garments on an industrial scale. Above all, they were removed with shreds of family ties littering the permit lines.

Through oral histories, photographs, and personal memories, the Ration Shed Museum has gathered the voices of those who endured the Girls’ Dormitory system. Their words form the heart and soul of this powerful exhibition – a century on from its opening – ensuring these stories are preserved, shared, and honoured by the Cherbourg community and all who visit.

We invite you to attend the opening of this exhibition on October 2nd 2025, one hundred years on, at 10.30am followed by morning tea. This is an open community event and will be attended by media.

The exhibition was kindly fully funded by the Queensland Department of The Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation - Building Bush Tourism Fund 2025 and built with the assistance of Brandi Projects.