National Sorry Day
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Today is National Sorry Day
National Sorry Day marks the anniversary of the tabling of the Bringing Them Home report in the Australian Parliament in 1997. It is a day to honour the survivors of the Stolen Generations and reflect on their experiences.
This year’s theme is ‘We Cannot Wait Another Generation’. This theme emphasises the need to act on the recommendations from the report that have not yet been addressed, before it is too late to act.
In Tasmania, this day holds profound significance. The forcible removal of Tasmanian Aboriginal children occurred during two periods:
- From the beginning of European colonisation in 1803 until the mid-19th century.
- From the 1930s, under legislation enabling the forced removal of Tasmanian Aboriginal children from Cape Barren Island, a practice that continued until at least 1997.
Many of these children were separated from siblings, denied any contact with their families, and placed in foster care or children’s homes – an enduring legacy of pain for countless families.
Learn more: read the Tasmanian chapter of the Bringing Them Home report.
On National Sorry Day, we ask you to pause, reflect, and acknowledge the experiences of the Stolen Generations – the families and especially the children. As a community, let’s work together towards reconciliation and meaningful change for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.