Stolen Generations reparations - Unfinished Business

Aboriginal Affairs NSW provides healing, funding and truth telling in support of Aboriginal people and communities in relation to Stolen Generations

Stolen Generations refers to people forcibly removed from their families by the NSW Aborigines Protection or Welfare Boards from around 1910 to the 1970s.

The NSW Government agreed to provide reparations to Stolen Generations, as part of a broader response to people affected. 

To read more about this broader response see Stolen Generations

Support for survivor organisations 

As part of the NSW Government response, financial support is being provided to four Stolen Generation Organisations over 10 years.

Through these organisations, Stolen Generations survivors have developed the leadership to support their members in collective healing. 

The NSW Government recognises this important role supporting survivors and their descendants.

For more about four independent NSW Stolen Generations Organisations, see:

• Cootamundra Girls’ Aboriginal Corporation
• Kinchela Boys’ Home Aboriginal Corporation
• Children of the Bomaderry Aboriginal Children’s Home Incorporated
• NSW/ACT Stolen Generations Council

The Stolen Generations Reparations Scheme

The Stolen Generations Reparations Scheme provided ex-gratia payments to Stolen Generations survivors. The reparations aimed to acknowledge historical injustices faced by Stolen Generations survivors. The amount provided to each recipient was $75,000.

The Scheme closed for new applications on 30 June 2023. 

Late applications closed on 29 March 2024. 

Legal Aid’s Civil Law Team can also assist you to request a late application. You can contact them on 1300 888 529 (no charge for this service). 

Want to know more? Call the Scheme on 1800 019 998

Funeral Assistance Fund

People eligible for the Stolen Generations Reparations Scheme were also eligible for the Funeral Fund.

The Funeral Assistance Fund provided one-off payments to Stolen Generations survivors to help cover funeral costs. 

Survivors who met the following criteria were eligible:

• Removed by, committed to, or otherwise came into the care of the New South Wales Aborigines Protection or Welfare Boards under the Aborigines Protection Act 1909.
• Living on December 2, 2016 (the date when the NSW Government announced the establishment of the Funeral Assistance Fund).

Related resources

For resources related to the Reparations Scheme and Funeral Assistance fund

See reparations resources

Stolen Generations Healing Fund

The NSW Government also established a special fund for healing initiatives. This fund supports healing centers, memorials, and other efforts to acknowledge the suffering of the Stolen Generations. The fund provides $5 million over 10 years. 

Access listings for Healing and reparations streams:

Healing and reparations stream 1

Healing and reparations stream 2

Healing and reparations stream 3

Other reparations schemes

The Commonwealth Government’s Territories Stolen Generations Redress Scheme provides eligible survivors who were taken from their families in the Northern Territory, Australian Capital Territory and Jervis Bay Territory with personalised apologies, a monetary payment of $75,000, and an additional healing payment. Applications opened 1 March 2022. For more information or to apply, visit the Territories Stolen Generations Redress Scheme

The Victorian Government began accepting Stolen Generations Reparations Package applications on 31 March 2022. The Victorian scheme provides eligible survivors who were taken as children from their families by a government or non-government agency before 31 December 1976, with personalised apologies, monetary payments of $100,000 and access to healing programs.  For more information or to apply visit the Stolen Generations Reparations Package

For more information

See Stolen Generations