19th April 1933 William Joseph Stacey married Jean Queenie Lewis at the Registry Office in Eastbourne, Sussex, England.

7th September 1934 Valerie Ann was born at Saint Mary's Hospital, 123 Church Street, Eastbourne. The family home at this time was 77 Pevensey Road, Eastbourne. Valerie was baptised at Saint Agnes Roman Catholic Church on 21st October 1934.

11th December 1936 Valerie's brother Roy was born at Saint Mary's Hospital. The family had moved to 17 Leslie Street, Eastbourne.

25th February 1940 Jean Queenie Stacey died at Saint Mary's Hospital. Cause of death was Uraemia and incomplete abortion.

Once of school age Valerie Ann att ended Saint Joseph's Roman Catholic School, Whitley Road, Eastbourne. She was joined there by Roy.

Sometime after the death of Jean Queenie, william met and entered into a relationship with Gladys Rooke, who already had a son' Ronald The family now lived at 13 North Street, Eastbourne.

28th January 1943 a son' Michael, was born to William and Gladys. A short while after this the family, William, Gladys, Valerie, Roy, Michael and Ronald, moved to 26 Beach Road, Eastbourne.

13 June 1946 Joseph William died at Saint Mary's Hospital, Eastbourne. Cause of death was cerebral embolism and valvular disease of the heart. He was 35 years old at his death.

12th July 1946 Gladys gave birth to David.

At about this time Valerie and Roy were taken into the care of the East Sussex Authorities. Apart from one brief meeting soon afterwards they never met again. Valerie was put in a school at Bexhill, Sussex, and from there was sent in October 1946 to Nazareth House Convent in Plymouth, England. Roy was sent initially to a school in Orpington, Kent and from there to the Salesian College in London.
r n"We were asked by Mother Rose at Bexhill to take this girl to enable her to attend Notre Dame High School with two of our girls. Father and mother are both dead." (Mother Superior, Nazareth House Convent, Plymouth). This testifies to Valerie"s high intelligence and her ability to learn, as Notre Dame was a school of very high standards.

In 1946 Brother Conlon, who was due to visit Britain from Australia, was asked by the Archbishop of Adelaide to "get him some girls to fill the Orphanage in Adelaide".

The wheels were set in motion under the Child Migration Scheme approved by the British Government and taken over by the Catholic Church. Valerie was in the most unfortunate position of being in the clutches of the Catholic Church at the time. She was chosen for Migration under Group Nomination SG10. There is no reason for believing that she was aware of this at the time.

The required Migration Documents were obtained over a period of months.

Certified Copy of Birth Certificate
Consent Form signed by Stepmother
Child Migration Form completed by sponsoring
Organisation, Catholic Child Welfare Council
Approval by Australian Migration Branch
Medical Examination carried out 25th August 1948
4th October 1948

21st October 1948
25th October 1948
11th March 1949

Some time between 11th March 1949 and 17th March 1949 the date of birth was altered on the Migration Form to bring Valerie within the age limits for the Scheme - a criminal act. At this time Valerie was under the jurisdiction of the Sisters at Nazareth House. This Form also shows Valerie's educational standard as "Very Good".

On Wednesday, 13th April 1949, the Notre Dame High School closed for the Easter Holidays. This was the last day of Valerie"s attendance at the School as she was then told she was to be sent to Australia. She had no opportunity to bid farewell to her school friends or make any last contact with her family.

On 28th April 1949 Valerie left from Tilbury Docks on the S. S. "Mooltan" bound for Australia. She travelled as part of a group of 16 girls of whom 8 were fr