To say that Diana Wilde was shocked when she discovered, at age 64, that she had been adopted as an infant, would be a massive understatement.
"My head nearly blew off," she said. "I was doing the family history, asking people about everything, and one cousin just couldn't handle it any longer and told me.
"I couldn't believe all the people I grew up with had known all along that I was adopted and no one told me until then. I got on the phone to all my relatives and asked them why they didn't tell me."
Ms Wilde is now using her experience to write a book about the search for her birth family. It will be called The Said Child, which is how she was referred to in legal papers.
Ms Wilde, from Wentworth Falls, will also be telling her story at a meeting in Katoomba next Wednesday (April 29) for anyone affected by adoption.
The Adoption Connection meeting is being organised by The Benevolent Society's post adoption resource centre, which gave great support to Ms Wilde.
"They were really great at helping me deal with all the emotions I was going through when I found out... and they helped me every step of the way to track down and connect with my birth family."
When she found her birth mother, who had been 19 years old when she gave birth in 1947, she was in a nursing home and Ms Wilde initially didn't want to tell her who she was. By the time she had decided to broach the subject, her mother had died.
"But that first time, as I was leaving, she asked for a cuddle so I felt she had recognised me."
She also made contact with a woman her birth mother had adopted three years after giving up Ms Wilde and the pair have become friends.
Counsellor Fiona Cameron, from the resource centre, said about one in 15 people were affected by adoption in Australia.
"More and more people are contacting the centre to ask us for information, support or counselling, and for help with finding and contacting family members."
"We have run meetings all over NSW and we find one of the main benefits is the opportunity it gives people to meet and talk with others who have gone through similar life experiences."
The meeting will be held at the Katoomba Community Health Facility, 93 Waratah St, on April 29, 6-8.30pm. Bookings essential by April 27 on 1300 659 814 or email parc@benevolent.org.au.
