An Indigenous family is sleeping rough in Perth bushlands after moving from inland Western Australia last December.
Grandmother Mary* relocated with her son and six grandchildren last year, in the hopes of accessing better education for the children.
"I'm very desperate because I consider education very, very important for Indigenous people," she said.
"And the education system in the remote community that I’ve just come down from, close to the Northern Territory border, has failed my grandchildren dismally."
Mary told NITV she was shocked at the position she was in.
"I never, ever in my wildest dreams would ever think I could be standing here or staying in this situation, in this environment, where I am today," she said.
"But it's unfortunate because of the things that have happened in the past."
Journalist Gerry Georgatos told NITV that the family did have support in the local community.
"They're coming into the big towns and preferably for them the big city, which is Perth, hoping to find accommodation to get their kids into education, to give them more opportunity," he said.
Incidents of Aboriginal families sleeping in bushland in Perth’s suburbs is becoming a disturbing trend, with a number of families reportedly sleeping rough in the area at the moment.
Mary said the decision to move had been difficult, but it was a trade off.
"We've been up in the remote community there for eight years and I wanted my grandchildren to have the experience of being with traditional people so they can be proud of who they are," she said.
"I want them to experience that kind of lifestyle but I also want then to experience the other part of Australia."
*Name has been changed
Share
