Indigenous elder seeks apology and compensation for 1950s hospital abuse

Yuin elder Benjamin 'BJ' Cruse describes a week-long ordeal at Macleay District Hospital in the late 1950s, where he and his siblings were segregated on a verandah, subjected to repeated slaps, forced to hold apron strings, and humiliated by a nurse who stacked books on his head. The trauma left him with lasting psychological issues. His sister Rhonda recalls being locked in a dark, separate room marked with “A-B-O” on the gowns.

Cruse has approached the NSW government and the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues demanding an apology and compensation, rejecting a $30,000 payment as inadequate. The Mid North Coast Local Health District declined comment, citing legal proceedings, while the NSW government affirmed its commitment to support survivors of historical abuse. Historians note that segregation at the hospital ended in July 1964, and experts highlight the lingering impact of past discriminatory health policies on Indigenous communities.