A new truth-telling exhibition, Secrets of Dawn, features contributions from more than 30 survivors and descendants of Coota Girls.

Dawn Magazine was established by the Aborigines Welfare Board (1940-1969) as a publication intended for the Aboriginal community of New South Wales. It served to promote the initiatives of the Board while also featuring photographs and narratives from stations, reserves, and training institutions across New South Wales.

The underlying aim of Dawn Magazine was to distort the truth regarding the living conditions and welfare of children who were forcibly removed. This was achieved through staged photographs and articles that presented to First Nations readers the purported "benefits" of assimilating into the colonised White Australian society.

The Cootamundra Domestic Training Home for Aboriginal Girls (1912-1969) is mentioned more than 100 times throughout all editions of Dawn Magazine.

Coota Girls Survivor and Secrets of Dawn Contributor Aunty Jean Carter nee McKenzie, criticised the way reports portrayed homes, especially in Cootamundra

"They'd have this big write up about how wonderful it was, what was happening in these homes...particularly in Cootamundra," she said.

"But they never wrote about the stories of what was happening behind the scenes. Never, ever, ever wrote anything about that."

Secrets of Dawn incorporates material from Dawn Magazine in conjunction with modern contributions from Coota Girls Survivors and their descendants, revealing the strategies employed under the Aborigines Protection Act (1909-1969) to further the agenda of forcibly assimilating First Nations peoples.

Coota Girls Descendant and Secrets of Dawn director Meagan Gerrard highlights that post-colonisation efforts aimed to destroy her people and their culture

"Post-colonisation we are left with evidence of an attempt to eradicate this living, breathing and thriving system and my ancestors who belonged to it...to eradicate me...my own children...my people," she said.

"The Dawn Magazines are proof of this attempt of genocide and an illustration of how comfortable they were with the use of trickery and deception as one of their weapons."

Secrets of Dawn invites attendees to listen to the authentic narratives of forced removal and assimilation, while honouring the brave journeys of the Coota Girls Survivors and their descendants, who serve as pioneers in truth-telling, healing, and self-determination.

The initiative is a project of the Coota Girls Aboriginal Corporation, developed and directed by Meagan Gerrard (Wailwan Gamilaroi) and Alex McWhirter, with curation by Dennis Golding (Kamilaroi/Gamilaraay).

All Survivors of the Stolen Generations, their family members and descendants, as well as First Nations individuals and non-Indigenous allies, are encouraged to participate in this event.

The Exhibition opens on Wednesday 7 August at at Carriageworks, Gadigal Land.