Acknowledgement
Acknowledgement
Aboriginal Affairs NSW acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the lands where we work and the places in which we live. We pay respect to Ancestors and Elders past and present. We recognise the unique cultural and spiritual relationship and celebrate the contributions of First Nations peoples to Australia.
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"We acknowledge the Stolen Generations, those living, and remember those who have passed.
We acknowledge the missing children who were never found and those who were not able to return home.
The strength, resilience and perseverance of Survivors drives us in this Unfinished Business.
We work together and under their guidance we aim to heal our spirit and care for future generations."
2020 Unfinished Business progress report, NSW Government
History
Many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children were forcibly removed from their families under government policy and direction from 1910 through to 1970s.
These actions by the Aborigines Welfare Board under the Aborigines Protection Act in NSW had individual and widespread impacts on families and communities.
Children were placed into Aboriginal children’s homes, such as Bombaderry Children's Home, Kinchela Boys Home and Cootamundra Girls Home, or other government and non-government homes, foster care or adopted.
The children removed by the boards suffered an enduring loss of culture and belonging, with many also suffering severe abuse and neglect.
Separated parents, children and siblings experienced trauma that has been passed down to descendants and continues to be felt today. This is known as intergenerational trauma.
"Culture and identity were deliberately and systematically undermined."
From NSW Government response to address the enduring impacts of past practices in relation to the Stolen Generations.
Recognition
In later years, the NSW Government officially acknowledged the enduring trauma caused by the historic government policies and practices of removing Aboriginal children from their families, communities and culture. To find out more see reports:
- June 2016 General Purpose Standing Committee 3 Report into reparations for the Stolen Generations.
- The NSW Government response included 35 recommendations and a comprehensive package towards reparations for Stolen Generations survivors and their families (see below)
- Progress reports on implementing the recommendations: July 2018 Unfinished Business progress report and December 2020 Unfinished Business progress report
"...formally recognise the damaging and enduring impact of removal on survivors and their families..."
NSW Government response into Reparations for Stolen Generations
Response
The NSW Government adopted 6 key response areas to the Stolen Generations reports:
- Recognition
- Monetary reparations
- Healing
- Tailored supports
- Guarding against repetition
- Cultural renewal
These responses included Stolen Generations reparations:
- Stolen Generations reparations scheme – recognises the profound impacts that removal has had on Stolen Generations survivors.
- The establishment of a Stolen Generations healing fund and financial support to SGOs – seeks to address those impacts for survivors, their families and their descendants
Thank you to Survivors
The Stolen Generations Advisory Committee helped support the NSW Government's implementation of ‘Unfinished Business’.
The Committee ran until May 2023. Committee members worked with departments responsible for delivering services or supports for Stolen Generations Survivors. It included Survivor representatives from Kinchela Boys’ Home Aboriginal Corporation, Coota Girls Aboriginal Corporation, Children of the Bomaderry Aboriginal Children’s Home Incorporated and the NSW/ACT Stolen Generations Council. Survivors included:
- Aunty Christine Blakeney, Children of Bomaderry Aboriginal Children's Home Incorporated
- Aunty Pamela Dixon, Children of Bomaderry Aboriginal Children's Home Incorporated
- Uncle James Michael Welsh, Kinchela Boys Home Aboriginal Corporation
- Uncle Lester Maher, Kinchela Boys Home Aboriginal Corporation
- Uncle Richard Campbell, Kinchela Boys Home Aboriginal Corporation
- Aunty Lorraine Peeters, Coota Girls Aboriginal Corporation
- Aunty Robyn Lowe, Coota Girls Aboriginal Corporation
- Aunty Matilda House, Stolen Generations Council NSW/ACT
- Uncle Richard Dawes, Stolen Generations Council NSW/ACT
Government advisors included:
- (representative) Aboriginal Housing Office (Department of Planning, Industry and Environment)
- Ms Geraldine Wilson Matenga, Ministry of Health
- Mr Stephen Bray, Department of Communities and Justice
- Mr Leon Donovan, National Indigenous Australians Agency, Australian Government
Aboriginal Affairs NSW
Find out more about the NSW Government agency that advocates for, and supports Aboriginal people and communities
Contact Aboriginal Affairs
Office address: Level 6, 201 Coward Street, Mascot NSW 2020
Postal address: PO Box 207, Mascot NSW 2020