Tom Sullivan was ten when he was stolen from his family. The police placed him under the control of the owners of the Gregory hotel where worked for no pay for over a decade and was whipped often. When Sullivan was twenty-one he was able to get a job on a station; however, he found the treatment he received there was far worse. Sullivan found himself moving from place to place, changing his occupation, and changing his name multiple times so that he could avoid being caught by the authorities. During the 1940s, Sullivan served in the Labour Corps for nearly four years. Once the war was over, he was discharged and given a medal for services to country.
Source: Sullivan, T., 'Forward' in Son of Alyandabu, University of Queensland Press, 1991, pp. ix-xii
