Our way home: Kathleen Gerada’s reunion story
For most of my life, there was a part of my family history that remained unanswered.
I am Kathleen Gerada (née Ross), the youngest child of Victor and Edna Ross. I grew up in Darra, Queensland, with my three older brothers. Like many children, I was curious about my parents’ lives, particularly my father’s childhood. As far as we knew, my father had no family because we had never met any relatives from his side.
Whenever I asked my father about his early years, he would simply say that he was an orphan and did not want to talk about it. Only now have I learnt that in 1935 he had been granted a Certificate of Exemption under the Aboriginal Protection Acts. Looking back, I believe the pressures and expectations placed upon Aboriginal people at that time contributed to his silence about his family and his past.
Sadly, all three of my brothers have now passed away, so I will never know whether he shared any of his story with them during his later years.
My curiosity remained. I had always suspected that my grandmother may have been Aboriginal because of her name on my parents’ marriage certificate.
My father listed his mother as Cissie and his father as Richard Ross, but beyond that we knew very little.
What I later learned was both heartbreaking and deeply significant. My father, Victor Ross, knew his mother, Cissie Ross (née Jones). Following the removal of Aboriginal families from their traditional Country around Gracemere, the family was taken to Durundur Mission near Woodford. It was there that my father was removed from his mother as a very young child. Records later revealed that he returned to Barambah, now known as Cherbourg, before being sent to work on a farm in Brisbane at just 13 years of age under an employment agreement.
Although he carried memories of his mother and knew her name, the separation meant he grew up disconnected from much of his family, culture and Country.
“As a result, our family also lost those connections. I grew up never knowing my grandparents, aunties, uncles or cousins from my father’s side. There was always a missing piece of our story.”
With the support of Link-Up (Qld), I finally began searching for answers. I wanted to learn more about my grandmother and great-grandmother, understand my father’s story and discover whether any family connections remained.
The information uncovered through Link-Up (Qld) changed my life. Records confirmed that my grandmother was Cissie Ross (née Jones), daughter of Mary Jones, an apical ancestor of the Warraburra People of the Darumbal Nation. We also discovered information about my father’s father, siblings, extended family and my grandmother’s life.
One of the biggest surprises was learning that my father had siblings and an extended family that we never knew existed. After growing up with so many unanswered questions, it was incredibly moving to discover that these family connections had survived and were waiting to be rediscovered.
The reunion journey took my daughter Annette and me to Rockhampton, Gracemere, Kabra and surrounding areas. Walking on Country where my ancestors had once lived, travelled and camped was deeply emotional. One of the most powerful moments was visiting Gracemere and hearing stories about where my grandmother had lived and where my father had spent part of his earliest years. For the first time, the places I had only read about in records became real.
Equally special was meeting family members who knew of my father and welcomed us warmly. Before the trip, I felt anxious and uncertain about how we would be received. Having grown up knowing so little about my father’s family, I wondered whether we would truly belong. Those worries quickly disappeared. We were welcomed with kindness, generosity and acceptance, and I immediately felt a sense of belonging.
The reunion was made even more meaningful through cultural experiences on Country. These experiences were made possible through the generosity and kindness of newly found family members, who went out of their way to welcome us, share their knowledge and guide us through places of significance to our family history. A smoking ceremony, traditional dancing and hearing the didgeridoo played by family members created moments I will never forget. These experiences strengthened my connection to family, culture and Country and helped bring our family’s story to life.
This reunion has had a profound impact on my life. Finding answers has brought me peace and contentment. I feel stronger in my identity, more connected to my ancestry and grateful to finally understand the journey that shaped my father and our family.
“Knowing more about my family’s history has given me a greater sense of belonging and a deeper connection to both family and Country.”
Most importantly, this journey has shown me that even after generations of separation, connections can be rebuilt, stories can be reclaimed and families can find their way back to one another.
I would like to thank my husband and daughter for their unwavering love and support throughout this journey, and the staff, support workers and researchers at Link-Up (Qld) whose dedication and compassion made this reunion possible.
What began as a search for answers became a journey home – home to family, Country, history and belonging.
Kathleen Gerada
Published July 2026.