Alec Kruger facts for kids

Alec (Bumbolili) Kruger (born December 24, 1924 – died February 20, 2015) was an important Aboriginal man from Australia. He was part of the Stolen Generations. This means he was taken from his family when he was a child. Later in life, he tried to get fair treatment and money from the government for what happened to him. He was one of the people who took the government to court in a case called Kruger v Commonwealth. This case went all the way to the highest court in Australia, the High Court of Australia.

A Young Life

Alec Kruger was born near the Katherine River in a place called Donkey Camp. His father was Franz (Frank) Kruger, and his mother was Yrambul Nungarai, a Mudburra woman. Alec was one of their two children. His parents stayed together until his father passed away in 1938.

Taken from Family

When Alec was a very young child, around four years old in 1928, he was taken from his family. His sister Gladys was also taken. They were placed in a special home called the Kahlin Compound in Darwin. This was a very sad time for his mother, Yrambul. She had already had other children taken from her before. Even though she knew it might not help, she followed Alec and Gladys to Darwin. She stood outside the gates of the compound every day. Eventually, she had to go home to her other children who had not been taken. Alec also had two older sisters, Ada and Alice, who were already at Kahlin.

Moving Homes

In September 1931, when Alec was six, he moved again. He went to the Pine Creek Home in Pine Creek. Twenty-seven other boys moved with him. People said this new home was much better than Kahlin. But Alec was separated from his sisters. He did not see them again until after World War II ended.

Alec moved one more time in 1933. He went to The Bungalow in Alice Springs. Thirty-three boys from Pine Creek Home went with him because that home closed. Now, Alec was even further away from his family.

Life at The Bungalow

Alec Kruger wrote about his time at The Bungalow in his book Alone on the Soaks. He said:

Anyone going out to see the Telegraph Station these days is not going to get much of a picture of what the place looked like when I first saw it. They've ripped down all the thrown-together tin dormitories and the other shacks and sheds that were everywhere. There are lawns where there used to be just bulldust and rubbish. As it's presented today you might think it was a really nice place. Why are all of us complaining? Well in my time, it wasn't very nice at all. It might have worked as a telegraph station and home for a dozen people, but with 140 kids living there at its peak, it was an overcrowded prison.

At The Bungalow, the classes were very big. Alec often got into trouble and spent a lot of time outside. When he left at age 10, he still could not read or write.

Working Without Pay

In 1935, when Alec was 10, he left The Bungalow. A family called the Bloomfields chose him from a group of children. They took him to Loves Creek Station to work. Alec said that he was treated very unfairly there. He was promised wages, but he was never paid for his work.

Working Life

When Alec realized he would not be paid, he ran away. He decided to join the army. He wanted to fight for his country and earn good money. He was 17, but he told the army recruiters he was 18. He joined an Aboriginal Unit and mostly worked loading trucks.

After the war, Alec found his family again. He lived with them for a short time in Katherine. He then worked in many different jobs across the Northern Territory. He retired when he was 65 years old in 1989.

Fighting for Justice

In 1997, Alec Kruger went to the High Court. He spoke about how many mixed-race children were taken from their parents in the Northern Territory. This case, Kruger v Commonwealth, became known as the Stolen Generation Case. In this case, the High Court looked at an old law called the Aboriginals Ordinance 1918. This law was used between 1918 and 1957 to take children. The court decided that the law itself was valid at the time.

Even though the court did not rule in his favor, Alec's efforts were important. After this decision, the Stolen Generation Association was started in Alice Springs. Alec Kruger was part of the group that helped manage this new association.

Later Life

Alec Kruger passed away on February 20, 2015.