A MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL
National Apology Day is commemorated annually on 13th February and encourages remembrance of - and apology to – the Stolen Generations and those whose lives have been blighted by past government policies of forced child removal and assimilation.
This commemoration differs from Sorry Day which is held annually on 26th May, to mark the original tabling of the ‘Bringing them Home’ report.
On 13th February 2008, the first sitting of the new parliamentary year, then-Prime Minister Kevin Rudd formally acknowledged the immense suffering experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people due to past government policies of forced child removal and decades of mistreatment of Indigenous Australians.
The National Apology to the Stolen Generations remains a momentous turning point that demonstrates the importance of historical acceptance in paving the road to reconciliation.
On February 13th 2022, it is 14 years since this apology was offered.
National Apology Day is a day to remember and pray for the children who were taken away from their families and homes. It is a step on the path to reconciliation. It is a commitment to right the wrongs of past injustices and is about building a bridge of respect between all people.
Below is part of Mr Rudd’s apology speech.
“I move that today we honour the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples of this land, the oldest continuing cultures in human history. We reflect on their past mistreatment. We reflect in particular on the mistreatment of those who were Stolen Generations—this blemished chapter in our nation’s history.
The time has now come for the nation to turn a new page in Australia’s history by righting the wrongs of the past and so moving forward with confidence to the future.
We apologise for the laws and policies of successive Parliaments and governments that have inflicted profound grief, suffering and loss on these our fellow Australians. We apologise especially for the removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families, their communities and their country.
For the pain, suffering and hurt of these stolen generations, their descendants and for their families left behind, we say sorry.
To the mothers and the fathers, the brothers and the sisters, for the breaking up of families and communities, we say sorry.
And for the indignity and degradation thus inflicted on a proud people and a proud culture, we say sorry.”
God of Justice,
We come to seek your guidance, wisdom and compassion.
As we pray for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples who have been wronged in the past, may our hearts be open to receive your healing grace, so that we in turn bring healing to each other. We ask this prayer in the name of your Son Jesus Christ.