Ten years ago, the then Prime Minister of Australia apologised to all Indigenous people for the Stolen Generation policies enacted by the Australian Government between the 1900s and the 1970s.
On Monday the 12th of February, Intract Australia’s John Briggs and Nara Wilson joined 1,200 guests at the Adelaide Convention Centre to acknowledge the 10th Anniversary of the National Apology. The event was marked with a breakfast to reflect on how Australia has progressed as a nation towards reconciliation.
2008 Apology from former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd
At 9:00am on February 13th, 2008 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people across Australia were deeply moved when the then Prime Minister of Australia, Kevin Rudd, finally apologised to the Stolen Generations and said ‘Sorry’.
Members of the Stolen Generations were invited to hear the National Apology first-hand in the gallery of The House of Representatives chamber at Parliament House in Canberra.
The Stolen Generations
The Stolen Generations (also known as Stolen Children) were the children of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who were removed from their families by the Australian Federal and State government agencies, and church missions, under acts of both Federal and State parliaments. The removal of these children who were referred to as ‘half-castes’ were conducted between 1905 and 1969, although in some places mixed-race children were still being taken well into the 1970s.
The children’s removal from their families affected all aspects of their lives. Some are still searching for their parents and others never succeeded as parents themselves, turning to substance abuse. Many feel that they are living a life surrounded by ghosts – people they don’t know, but should.
Follow the link below to read an article on the Creative Spirits website with further detail on the Stolen Generations.
https://www.creativespirits.info/aboriginalculture/politics/a-guide-to-australias-stolen-generations
Left to right: Nicole Galliford and daughter, Lucy Kingston, Tayla Inglis, Marilyn Wilson, Michelle Hauber, Tom Jenkin, Jodie Martin, John Briggs and Lavene Ngatokorua