Gordon Hill hopes the many people like him who were abused as children by clergy in Ballarat will eventually end up finding a little bit of peace and recognition.
The 72-year-old is glad he made the 3000km journey from Western Australia to the Victorian regional city to tell the royal commission of the physical and sexual abuse he suffered as a child at St Joseph's Home.
But many survivors of the widespread abuse by clergy over decades in the Ballarat diocese feel that even after an intense two-week public hearing, there's still a long way to go.
In particular they point to the Catholic Church's response and handling of abuse complaints.
"There doesn't seem to be anything put into place and no eagerness to do anything," survivor Andrew Collins said.
"You would think that after all these years that they would have had this down pat now, that procedures would have been put into place and they'd be doing things that were victim-centred not church-centred."
Lawyer and Monash University doctoral researcher Judy Courtin, who has worked with Ballarat victims, says there's ongoing harm to the victims because the members of the church hierarchy who knew of the abuse are still being protected.
"It's like the survivors bare their souls, take huge risks in what they're doing, and they continue to be insulted and traumatised by the church," she said.
"I think the survivors' evidence, their truth telling, has been acknowledged and in a sense I think they should be feeling vindicated.
"Of course that two-way exchange of the truth they need in order for there to be justice we haven't got yet and we're not going to get from the church."
Victims are disappointed that Australia's worst pedophile priest Gerald Francis Ridsdale did not really reveal what those in the church knew about his offending.
Ms Courtin said survivors and their families should still feel hope, and encourages people to come forward with information for the inquiry.
Ballarat Bishop Paul Bird said he has been trying to spread the message that it is a good thing for the church if victims come forward.
"I would suspect that it hasn't got through to everyone," he said.
The royal commission's investigation into the Ballarat diocese is not finished, and victims hope more will come out in the second public hearing in November or December.
Mr Hill will make the long journey back.
"The Pope wouldn't even bloody stop me."
Mr Hill is succinct when it comes to what he wants from the long royal commission process.
"A little bit of peace and some sort of recognition that it's actually happened. To me nobody's recognised it properly."
Mr Collins believes not enough has been done for the Ballarat community, and to address a high number of suicides among abuse victims.
"For the community to heal there needs to be total acceptance by the church and all its entities that these abuses happened and that they will pay their penance so to speak and make up for what they've done.
"Until that's done the issue will just continue to fester and boil and people will die."
