She was born in The Gully in Katoomba the year the Aboriginal land was ripped apart to become a racing circuit.
She was then taken from her family and raised in foster care.
With no knowledge of her roots, Eileen Brooks grew up believing she was a South Sea Islander.
Now, at the age of 57, Ms Brooks has finally discovered her Indigenous heritage, including learning that her father was Jackie Brooks, one of the most illustrious names in Mountains rugby league in the earlier years of last century.
“I never even knew my dad’s name,” she said. “As soon as they registered me at Katoomba, they took me out of my father’s arms.”
It was not until last December, when her son, Jay, did a Google search, that Ms Brooks learnt who she was. The first thing that popped up was an article written by local historian John Low about her father. They made contact with Mr Low and through his knowledge and via the “wonderful Facebook”, Ms Brooks eventually found cousins, a niece and other relatives she had never known.
She also learnt that her Gundungurra grandfather, William “Old Billy” Lynch, had been one of the pioneers of The Gully, moving there in 1900 as a widower with seven children. When he died in 1913, his obituary in the Blue Mountains Echo referred to his “encyclopedic” knowledge of the area.
His son, Jackie — Eileen’s father — was a renowned rugby league player for the Katoomba Federals, their only Indigenous player in that era. His speed and agility were much remarked upon and earned him selection in representative sides in the 1920s.
The Aborigines of The Gully were evicted in 1957 when a group of local businessmen, with the backing of the council, decided they wanted to build a racetrack. Eileen Brooks’ life — along with many others — was turned upside-down.
The racetrack is long gone and in 2002 The Gully was declared an Aboriginal place. Jay Brooks visited after he learned about his forebears and saw a plaque honouring his grandfather.
“It was beautiful,” Ms Brooks said. “Jay went up there and said, ‘mum, mum, there are pictures of your dad everywhere’.”
He encouraged her to return for the first time to the place of her birth.
“I just couldn’t believe how beautiful it was,” she said, “but it was really sad as well.”
Jay said he had just decided he had to try to help his mother find her family.
“All my life she has said, ‘I don’t know who my dad is’. There was just a day in 2014 that I decided today’s the day I’m looking. I didn’t expect to find anything. I was gobsmacked when I did.”
Jay said for his mother, the discovery had been “amazing ... but a bit of a roller coaster”.
“We have met new family now and they are caring and accepting but it also hurts the people that she [mum] grew up with.”