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Girl 43
A poignant and powerful novel inspired by Maree Giles' experience at the infamous Parramatta Girls' Home.
The graffiti on the holding room wall says it all:
'Gunyah is hell on earth'.
And Ellen's about to find out why.
Ellen was never the daughter her mother wanted. Patent leather shoes and frilly dresses just weren't her thing and, at age fourteen, she's ready to leave school and find her own way. No one is going to stop her from going where she wants, doing what she wants, and hanging out with Robbie. Or so she thinks.
But when the police turn up, Ellen is deemed to be in 'moral danger' and is sentenced to the Gunyah Training School for Girls. Suddenly, she's no longer Ellen, she's Girl 43, and she has to follow the rules, work hard and - most importantly - stay quiet.
When it's discovered that she's pregnant, there's no respite from the staff. Told she isn't capable of bringing up a child, they twist the truth to make her cooperate. But however hard they try, they can't destroy the connection between a mother and her child . . . or can they?
Drawn from experiences in Parramatta Girls' Home in the seventies, Girl 43 is a story that could have come straight from today's headlines about the shocking treatment of innocent children and teens by people in the very institutions that were supposed to protect them.
The graffiti on the holding room wall says it all:
'Gunyah is hell on earth'.
And Ellen's about to find out why.
Ellen was never the daughter her mother wanted. Patent leather shoes and frilly dresses just weren't her thing and, at age fourteen, she's ready to leave school and find her own way. No one is going to stop her from going where she wants, doing what she wants, and hanging out with Robbie. Or so she thinks.
But when the police turn up, Ellen is deemed to be in 'moral danger' and is sentenced to the Gunyah Training School for Girls. Suddenly, she's no longer Ellen, she's Girl 43, and she has to follow the rules, work hard and - most importantly - stay quiet.
When it's discovered that she's pregnant, there's no respite from the staff. Told she isn't capable of bringing up a child, they twist the truth to make her cooperate. But however hard they try, they can't destroy the connection between a mother and her child . . . or can they?
Drawn from experiences in Parramatta Girls' Home in the seventies, Girl 43 is a story that could have come straight from today's headlines about the shocking treatment of innocent children and teens by people in the very institutions that were supposed to protect them.
312 pages, Paperback
First published June 24, 2014
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86 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
October 12, 2014
Ellen Russell began to feel hot from head to toe the day she was sentenced to six to nine months detention at the Gunyah Training School for Girls. Ellen was considered by the courts as uncontrollable. Ellen had no idea what she was in for, but as soon as she arrived at Gunyah she knew things were about to get a whole lot worse for her. All the girls at Gunyah were badly treated they were made to work hard and they were punished if they did not carry out the work that was assigned to them. The girls would be mentally and physically abused as well as being locked up in isolation if they did anything out of turn.
Not wanting to give the whole story away, so I won't go into anymore of the story line only to say this story may be hard for some to read due to the subject matter. But in saying that I feel it is well worth reading. To think of all the suffering and pain that these girls went through is unimaginable and still to this day those girls still bare the mental and physical scars is heartbreaking. This would've been a hard story to write, but one that needed to be told. Highly recommended.
Not wanting to give the whole story away, so I won't go into anymore of the story line only to say this story may be hard for some to read due to the subject matter. But in saying that I feel it is well worth reading. To think of all the suffering and pain that these girls went through is unimaginable and still to this day those girls still bare the mental and physical scars is heartbreaking. This would've been a hard story to write, but one that needed to be told. Highly recommended.
November 23, 2014
When fourteen year old Ellen Russell decided to leave school and move into a small flat with surfer boyfriend Robbie, she could not have foreseen the disastrous turn her future would take. Four months later, after a happy, carefree time together, the police came and took Ellen to the police station. There she was told she needed protection, she was in moral danger; so she was sent to Gunyah Training School for Girls. She was a naïve girl, and had no idea what would happen to her. It was just as well she didn’t…
Ellen had seen the words Gunyah is hell on earth scratched into the wall in the holding cell at the police station; she had no idea what that meant, but it wasn’t long before she found out exactly what it meant. Girl 43 was her only form of identification – she was shorn, her clothes were taken from her, the rules of no talking AT ALL or the punishment was severe – all of it made her confused and afraid. But she was sure it was a mistake – her mother would come and get her; Robbie would find her and take her away….wouldn’t she; wouldn’t he?
But the conditions continued to worsen – she had to work hard, or she was punished; she had to do as she was told, or she was punished; she had to be perfect to achieve points – she cried until she thought she would be sick, then she cried some more. Would she ever get out of that place?
This was a heart wrenching story of such huge proportions – the totally sad part about it is that although this novel is fiction, these things did happen. I was a little disappointed in the plot though – my expectations of what the story would be about, and what it WAS about were a little different. I read The Inconvenient Child by Sharyn Killens some time back which is non-fiction – I expected this one to be along those lines. To be more about the Parramatta Girls Home and Hay Correctional Centre and the atrocities that occurred in those places.
The suffering and pain that the young girls of that era (who were deemed "bad") endured is something that has a dubious place in Australia’s history. Thankfully those places are long ago closed, though the memories of it all will linger in the minds of many for a long time to come.
Ellen had seen the words Gunyah is hell on earth scratched into the wall in the holding cell at the police station; she had no idea what that meant, but it wasn’t long before she found out exactly what it meant. Girl 43 was her only form of identification – she was shorn, her clothes were taken from her, the rules of no talking AT ALL or the punishment was severe – all of it made her confused and afraid. But she was sure it was a mistake – her mother would come and get her; Robbie would find her and take her away….wouldn’t she; wouldn’t he?
But the conditions continued to worsen – she had to work hard, or she was punished; she had to do as she was told, or she was punished; she had to be perfect to achieve points – she cried until she thought she would be sick, then she cried some more. Would she ever get out of that place?
This was a heart wrenching story of such huge proportions – the totally sad part about it is that although this novel is fiction, these things did happen. I was a little disappointed in the plot though – my expectations of what the story would be about, and what it WAS about were a little different. I read The Inconvenient Child by Sharyn Killens some time back which is non-fiction – I expected this one to be along those lines. To be more about the Parramatta Girls Home and Hay Correctional Centre and the atrocities that occurred in those places.
The suffering and pain that the young girls of that era (who were deemed "bad") endured is something that has a dubious place in Australia’s history. Thankfully those places are long ago closed, though the memories of it all will linger in the minds of many for a long time to come.
February 10, 2018
This is a pretty bleak and grim view of events in Australia in the 1970's where basically, young girls could be locked up for being underage and promiscuous. While it is a novel, in some parts it almost reads like a biography. I liked the ending because it was believable and not the obvious happy ending it could have been. I didn't like the "Frank' character as he was not believable, and I would have enjoyed if there had been more character development of Iris Dawson. We see her point of view for a few short pages bit then nothing after that. Overall though, a good read, and once again I am left with the wonder of what human beings are capable of doing to each other.
October 31, 2014
There was once a time in this country when young girls were capable of being charged by the courts of being 'uncontrollable' and in 'moral danger' and locked away for their supposed own good. Girl 43 is a novel based in this era. What will resonate most with the reader are the sounds, smells and situations the author describes that evoke feelings of fear, desperation , anger and helplessness when describing the situation Ellen finds herself in. Girl 43 also touches on Australia's dark history of forced adoptions and the treatment women received at the hands of 'health' authorities, punished for falling pregnant without being married. Highly recommended.
September 6, 2020
Have to give up on this one 👎
July 8, 2014
At the very start of this book. It is argued that Australia has had the highest rate of institutionalisation of children in the world. And sadly a royal commission only came to light this year in 2014. Partly because of this book. The girls who went to these homes would have heavy wounds that they must carry for the rest of there lives. We can only hope that the abusers, got there karma in the end. I always wondered what the government and the era was like back then! I thought it was full of young happy teenage hippies. Like my uncle was in the 70's. I was wrong! Maybe the parents really didn't know how to handle the revolution and all that freedom. And let the law handle there kids. Thinking it is best. Which led to kids been taken into these homes like Parramatta and suffered abuse. Ellen has been lied to, by the social workers, the nurses, the sisters, even the nuns. Bloody hypocrites! About her baby. Even been made to sign something that she thinks has to do with having her baby at a particular hospital. When no. It is to sign for giving permission to adopt her baby out. Because of her age. There is no way at all she is to be allowed to keep her baby. That and been an unmarried person. It is a forced adoption. Ellen is treated like an idiot and a fool. Abused mentally and physically. The style of writing in this book are good. With a lot of descriptions of different smells throughout the book. And if your Aussie. You'd know all the smells in a heartbeat. This book is apart of Australia's history. No matter how grim. It's a book I believe that we all must read, to make sure this kind of abuse never happens again!
August 5, 2015
This is the harrowing tale of Ellen, a teenager deemed to be in 'moral danger and sent to a reform school for girls. Shortly after her arrival she discovers she is pregnant and is tricked into giving up her baby for adoption. The rest of the book revolves around her leaving the home and learning to fend for herself as she searches for her baby.
The novel is based on the author's own experiences in the infamous Parramatta Girls' Home and if only half the story is fact, it would be shocking enough. This is as much a coming of age book as the story of Ellen's search for her daughter and it works well in this capacity,as we witness her growth from an unworldly, but headstrong teenager to a wiser, more responsible young woman attempting to repair her damaged relationships with her mother and stepfather.
The author creates deep empathy for Ellen right from the beginning, due in no small part to her horrendous treatment at the Gunyah Training School for Girls. I was so wanting her to find her baby that (SPOILER) when she hadn't found her by the end of the book, it left me quite disappointed and frustrated, though I acknowledge that was the only realistic ending the story could have had.
I have one criticism of the writing style - I thought it was repetitive and overwritten in places, the emotions were too overwrought. Although it is a story of extremes of emotion, I think more restraint in these parts of the book would have resulted in a deeper impact.
The novel is based on the author's own experiences in the infamous Parramatta Girls' Home and if only half the story is fact, it would be shocking enough. This is as much a coming of age book as the story of Ellen's search for her daughter and it works well in this capacity,as we witness her growth from an unworldly, but headstrong teenager to a wiser, more responsible young woman attempting to repair her damaged relationships with her mother and stepfather.
The author creates deep empathy for Ellen right from the beginning, due in no small part to her horrendous treatment at the Gunyah Training School for Girls. I was so wanting her to find her baby that (SPOILER) when she hadn't found her by the end of the book, it left me quite disappointed and frustrated, though I acknowledge that was the only realistic ending the story could have had.
I have one criticism of the writing style - I thought it was repetitive and overwritten in places, the emotions were too overwrought. Although it is a story of extremes of emotion, I think more restraint in these parts of the book would have resulted in a deeper impact.
November 16, 2014
I very much enjoyed this book. Ellen is a teenager going a little wayward after a few run ins with her mum and boyfriend. She is living with a surfer type in the early 1970's and is put in a type of protective custody which is a shocking way to treat a child. After having a baby she is released but the baby has been adopted out and she tries to beat the system to get her baby back. Beautifully written with great insight into life in Sydney in the 1970's
January 28, 2020
I found that the first part of the book written like a YA. The second half of the book was a better part of the story. Slow at times, could be analysed further. The characters could have more depth, hard to feel stronglyattached.
March 30, 2021
yawn!
i was excited to read this but... i tried, i really did. and i gave up around chapter 3
i was excited to read this but... i tried, i really did. and i gave up around chapter 3
May 13, 2025
There are 15 members in our book club, including myself. We often pick an author and if we like the first read, we will look for more work by that author. We have now read all of Maree Giles' books!!! Each book has been well received. I found Girl 43 and The past is a secret country to be the most interesting, thought provoking and engaging. Other members rated Girl 43 and an Invisible thread as their favourites. Elder flower scored high in our rating system too. We unanimously agreed that the author has a tremendous gift for creating characters that become a person the reader actually knows and the reader becomesinvested in the story! Our chair lady , Gwendoline has vowed to contact the author and establish if any more titles are due to be published.
May 9, 2025
Australia frequently prefers to whitewash institutional failures and pretend that abuses of trust have not occurred. It is only by recognising and honouring the victims of such abuses that these wrongs can be addressed and rectified for future generations. Maree Giles, the author of ‘Girl 43’ is fearless in confronting the horrors of the Parramatta Girl’s Home in the 1970s by drawing on her personal experiences there. While the subject matter is traumatic, her honesty in self revelation makes her writing compelling. I recommend this book to everyone concerned with failures in the history of Australia and with the future provision of security and compassion to the children in its care.
November 27, 2018
Scary to think this was still going on in the sixties As often happens the Nuns who are meant to love people show the exact opposite. It seemed that there was no one on there side to nurture them. The drugs,suicide and prostitution it seemed that they unfortunately because they had been told and told repeatedly they believed that were sluts,unlovable and had absolutely nothing going for the. Then have these young people sign over their babies for adoption when they were in no condition or frame of mind to do the so.unfortunately we see humanity at its worst
October 12, 2022
This book is a must read for any Australian, especially if you are interested in our history.
It’s author has written this story based on her own experience of her time at Parramatta Girls’ Home.
It shares with us the extremely poor treatment suffered by young girls, in a place that could have been supportive and protective.
These stories are part of our not so distant past, they need to be told and heard. Thank you Maree Giles for sharing your story.
It’s author has written this story based on her own experience of her time at Parramatta Girls’ Home.
It shares with us the extremely poor treatment suffered by young girls, in a place that could have been supportive and protective.
These stories are part of our not so distant past, they need to be told and heard. Thank you Maree Giles for sharing your story.
May 8, 2025
I'm very keen on Australian history and really felt impressed with the accuracy and personal element that make this book a really interesting read. The book is easy to navigate and intuitive without being predictable. It's shocking to know this institutional destruction and harrowing behaviour was verified by public apology from our government. Would love to see this on the big screen! Now researching all works by this fabulous author
May 8, 2025
I couldn't put this book down! What a story and a really gifted story teller which isn't something that goes hand in glove with a published author. I won't go into details relating to characters and plot because there's enough in the synopsis and other reviews. Highly recommend giving this book a go, add to your summer holiday reading list.
April 12, 2018
3.5 stars.
Super compelling and quite confronting, especially at the beginning, but I would have liked more detail and events taking place in the girls home itself before she leaves.
Super compelling and quite confronting, especially at the beginning, but I would have liked more detail and events taking place in the girls home itself before she leaves.
April 13, 2018
great book, had trouble putting it down, enjoyable to read, glad times and policies have changed since then
July 9, 2020
D grade material at best, avoid!
April 1, 2021
A interesting story about a girl who is imprisoned in a juvenile prison for a minor offence and the injustices that are inflicted upon her along the way.
Read
June 24, 2023Heart wrenching!
May 11, 2021
This story is set in the 1970's and covers the treatment received by teenagers who wouldn't conform up until more recent times. Written as told by a fourteen year old, it might appeal more to younger readers.
August 27, 2014
When I read the blurb on this book I thought I would get a real "shocking insight" into life in the Girls homes in the '70s. Although the author has given some details I was expecting more, perhaps not the right thing to be expecting to read about bad and hurtful actions,but I really thought that there was more to tell. I still enjoyed reading Girl 43s story but just felt there was more to it.
December 30, 2014
Quite a quick read which was a perk for the book. Unfortunately for me characters were very frustrating to read about, particularly the perspective of the main character. Was very much looking forward to witnessing the insights of this place, might be better as a biography
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews