Lexi Webster
Australia's National Sorry Day, observed annually on 26 May, is a day of atonement for the country's past policies of forced child removal and assimilation that disproportionately affected Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. The day commemorates the Stolen Generations, with an emphasis on reconciliation and healing between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. In 2008, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd issued a formal apology on behalf of the federal government, marking a significant step towards acknowledging the wrongs inflicted upon Indigenous Australians.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of National Sorry Day | 26 May |
| Year of first National Sorry Day | 1997 |
| Date of formal apology | 13 February 2008 |
| Person who made the formal apology | Prime Minister Kevin Rudd |
| Who was the apology addressed to | Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples |
| Who was the apology particularly addressed to | The Stolen Generations |
| What was the apology for | The removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families, communities, and country |
| Who renamed the day to National Day of Healing | National Sorry Day Committee |
| Year the day was renamed to National Day of Healing | 2005 |
| Who tabled the motion in Parliament | Senator Aden Ridgeway |
| Number of people who participated in a walk across Sydney Harbour Bridge | 250,000 |
| Year when people walked across the Sydney Harbour Bridge | 2000 |
| Number of Indigenous children in out-of-home care in 2008 | 9,070 |
| Number of Indigenous children in out-of-home care in 2022 | 18,900 |
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What You'll Learn
The Stolen Generations
The policies of the Stolen Generations saw children put into institutions, fostered, or adopted out to non-Indigenous families. Many suffered harsh and degrading treatment, sexual abuse, and were frequently indoctrinated to believe Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were inferior, or that their parents were dead or did not want them. The Australian Human Rights Commission's 1997 Bringing Them Home report detailed the physical and emotional traumas experienced by members of the Stolen Generations, describing the Australian policies of removing Aboriginal children as genocide.
The first National Sorry Day was held on the first anniversary of the 1997 Bringing Them Home report, and it has since been held annually on 26 May. It is part of the ongoing efforts towards reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. In 2008, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd issued a formal apology for the mistreatment of Indigenous Australians on behalf of the federal government. Rudd's apology was made to the estimated 100,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who were forcibly removed from their families as children, formally acknowledging the deep pain, suffering, and injustices caused by decades of discrimination.
Despite the apology, there has been criticism that there has been no systematic government response to the needs of survivors and their descendants. A 2017 review found that the majority of the Bringing Them Home report's recommendations have not yet been implemented. A 2019 study by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) found that children living in households with members of the Stolen Generations are more likely to experience a range of adverse outcomes, including poor health, especially mental health, missing school, and living in poverty.
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The Bringing Them Home report
The report is a result of a national inquiry that investigated the forced removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families. It is estimated that between one in ten and one in three Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children were removed from their families and communities between 1910 and the 1970s. These children were taken by the police from their homes or on their way to school and put into institutions, fostered or adopted out to non-Indigenous families.
The report documented the experiences of Stolen Generations members and highlighted that many issues facing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, including substance abuse, mental illness and family violence, were strongly associated with the forced removal of children and the failure to provide healing. It concluded that the forced removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children was a gross violation of human rights and a breach of Australia's commitment to the Genocide Convention.
The report consists of 54 recommendations to deal with the impacts of the removal policies and address ongoing trauma, including a national apology, reparations, improved services for Stolen Generations members and a process for monitoring the implementation of the report's recommendations. The report also recommended an official apology be offered by the Australian Government for past government welfare policies that had separated children from parents on racial grounds.
The Commonwealth Government's response to the report has been criticised for being insufficiently documented, poorly coordinated and insufficiently targeted to meet the needs of the Stolen Generations. Despite progress in some areas, many of the report's recommendations have never been implemented, causing distress for many Stolen Generations members and a ripple effect on current generations.
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The National Day of Healing
National Sorry Day, officially the National Day of Healing, is an annual event held in Australia on 26 May to commemorate the Stolen Generations. It is a day to reflect on and address the historical mistreatment and injustices faced by Indigenous Australians, specifically the forced removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families and communities between 1910 and the 1970s. This period resulted in thousands of children being separated from their heritage and culture, impacting an estimated six generations of families.
The first National Sorry Day was observed on 26 May 1998, one year after the release of the Bringing Them Home report. While it took a decade for the federal government to officially acknowledge the day, the event sparked a movement for reconciliation. In 2000, over 250,000 people, including both Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians, participated in a walk across the Sydney Harbour Bridge to demand a government apology and raise awareness.
Finally, on 13 February 2008, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd issued a formal apology to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, particularly the Stolen Generations. This apology addressed the laws and policies that inflicted profound grief, suffering, and loss on these communities. While the National Day of Healing has sparked important conversations and gestures of solidarity, there is still a long way to go in terms of healing and reconciliation.
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The lack of a government apology
National Sorry Day, officially the National Day of Healing, is an annual event held in Australia on 26 May to commemorate the Stolen Generations. It is part of the ongoing efforts towards reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. The first National Sorry Day was held on the first anniversary of the 1997 Bringing Them Home report, which examined the government practices and policies that led to the Stolen Generations and recommended support and reparations to the Indigenous population.
The journey towards a National Apology was protracted and bitterly resisted. By 2001, all state and territory governments had issued apologies, except for the Australian Government under John Howard. First Nations peoples and their supporters began a campaign to spread awareness and build support for a federal apology. On 28 May 2000, more than 250,000 people participated in a walk across the Sydney Harbour Bridge to protest the lack of a government apology to Indigenous people.
In 2005, the National Sorry Day Committee renamed the day the National Day of Healing, with the motion tabled in Parliament by Senator Aden Ridgeway, who emphasised the need for healing in Australian society to achieve reconciliation. Despite growing public pressure, it took the Australian government another decade to offer an official apology.
On 13 February 2008, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd made a formal apology to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, particularly to the Stolen Generations, whose lives had been blighted by past government policies of forced child removal and assimilation. Mr Rudd apologised for the laws and policies that had inflicted profound grief, suffering, and loss on Indigenous Australians, specifically mentioning the removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families, communities, and country.
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The routine removal of Indigenous children from their families
The removal of Indigenous children from their families has been a long-standing issue in Australia, with a history dating back to the 19th century. The practice was driven by the belief that "half-caste" or mixed-race children posed a threat to the stability of prevailing culture and the idea that these children should be “converted” into white citizens. This resulted in the forced removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their communities, with an estimated one in ten to one in three Indigenous children being taken during certain periods.
The Bringing Them Home report, released in 1997, played a pivotal role in shedding light on this issue. The report described the removal of Aboriginal children as genocide and prompted the establishment of the National Sorry Day Committee, which advocated for a government apology and raised awareness about the mistreatment of Indigenous Australians.
The journey towards reconciliation and recognition of past wrongs was protracted and met with resistance. However, in 2008, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd delivered a formal apology to the Stolen Generations, acknowledging the profound grief, suffering, and loss inflicted by past government policies of forced child removal and assimilation. This marked a significant step towards healing and reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.
Despite this formal apology, the issue of Indigenous child removal has persisted in Australia. Protestors on National Sorry Day argue that the removal of Indigenous children under the guise of child welfare continues, with Indigenous children being overrepresented in the child protection system. The lack of a national reparation scheme has also been noted, with monetary compensation varying across states and territories.
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Frequently asked questions
National Sorry Day, officially the National Day of Healing, is an annual event held in Australia on 26 May to commemorate the Stolen Generations. It is part of the reconciliation efforts between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.
The Stolen Generations refer to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children who were forcibly removed from their families and communities due to government policies and practices during the 20th century. It is estimated that around 50,000 children were affected by these policies.
The Bringing Them Home report, released in 1997, examined the government policies and practices that led to the Stolen Generations. It recommended support and reparations for the Indigenous communities affected. The first National Sorry Day was held on the first anniversary of this report.
On 13 February 2008, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd issued a formal apology to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, particularly the Stolen Generations, on behalf of the federal government.
Australians participate in Reconciliation walks, flag-raising events, and write messages in "sorry books" to show their commitment to reconciliation. Protests also occur, highlighting the ongoing issues faced by Indigenous communities, such as the overrepresentation of Indigenous children in the child protection system.
