Local recognition for LOUD fence founder

EVERY week, when Maureen Hatcher was a child, she went to church as a Saint Alipius parishioner.

Big Catholic families, like her own, filled the pews from end to end, but little did she know, many of the children in the room were experiencing unthinkable trauma.

“In May of 2015, there was the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse and that’s when we heard a lot of the truths of what had happened,” she said.

“The Ballarat East stories affected me. I knew some of the people who were speaking out, and I definitely knew the families because of the long pews filled with so many children, and at school there was always one of that family ahead of you, in your year or below.”

Suddenly her memories of grade 6 at the amalgamated Saint Alipius Parish Primary School made sense.

“They closed the Christian brothers’ school, and the boys came back to our school,” she said.

“That year was quite wild. There was a lot of violence, boys were upset, there was a lot of anger.”

Ms Hatcher caught up with old school friends to speak about the revelations, and they’d seen ribbons appear at St Patrick’s College as a sign of acknowledgement of student victims and survivors.

“We thought the old Christian brothers’ school needed ribbons as well, as a show of visual support, so we went and tied some ribbons,” she said.

The fence outside the old St Alipius Boys’ School became the first official ‘loud’ fence and the LOUD Fence movement was founded.

“Because there’d been too much silence,” Ms Hatcher said.

“It was always a show of support. It’s about acknowledging what’s happened, making sure it doesn’t happen again and involving survivors in that process.

“LOUD Fence was needed not just for clergy abuse survivors but for all survivors of child sexual assault. We’ve been able to bring many of them together who didn’t have prior connections.

“LOUD Fence is still going strong, if not stronger, and I love that we’ve managed to connect a lot of survivors locally and throughout Australia.”

The organisation consists of a survivor group, volunteers, and a board, and has a LOUD Space, leads workshops, has been part of university projects, and helped launch National Survivor Day.

As an early childhood professional, Ms Hatcher works as a development advisor for Playgroups Victoria.

She said playgroups provide spaces for adults to connect, as much the kids, and she’s set to lead an intergenerational trial in Ballarat.

“There are links in all I do,” she said. “It’s all about keeping children and families safe.

“Again, connection, and connecting families, is important. Especially if they’re going through trauma, or drama, whether that’s short-term or long-term.

“To connect them in and make them feel part of a community is huge, especially when there’s vulnerabilities involved, and what family doesn’t have some type of vulnerability at some stage?”

Ms Hatcher grew up in Warrenheip, worked in childcare in Melbourne and at the University of Ballarat, before shifting to teach in children’s services.

“Looking back, all my work has been about connection, and to be able to create that is really valuable,” she said.

This year, the Zonta Club of Ballarat is honouring Ms Hatcher as one of Ballarat’s Great Women.