Whilst of course not condoning it, it's worth considering it from the perspective of the times. This was still only a few years after the war, and Britain was still feeling the effects - some rationing was still in force into the 1950s, and there were still many bomb-sites in London in the 1960s. The economic boom of the 1960s had yet to occur.

Australia was seen as a land of sun and opportunity. It was also crying out for immigrants. Many adults took a "£10 passage" voluntarily. I'm sure the policy was thought of as a win for all - to resolve a problem of too many orphans at home, give them an opportunity for a better life in a dynamic new country which they probably wouldn't get in the UK, and solve Australia's problems as well. There was perhaps less thought given to the emotional effects, but people had gone through long years of war and its aftermath and were perhaps less empathatic. Also, the class of people making these decisions were accustomed to sending their own children away to boarding school.

Perhaps if it had been handled differently, with more consideration to keeping siblings together and better supervision to prevent abuse, it might even have achieved those aims. Sadly, that wasn't to happen.