These stories form part of our collective history, the way we speak of and live culture still today, and the importance of passing on such stories to younger generations. Dr. Anita Heiss, Ed. Growing up Wiradjuri is a collection of personal stories by Wiradjuri Elders. The writers are Uncles and Aunties who came of age in New South Wales in the 1950s and 1960s. In a strong collective voice, they share the difficulties of growing up under the rule of the welfare board. Some describe their experiences of evading capture by the welfare mob, or of being stolen and forced into state care away from their families.