Bringing them home: The 'Stolen
Children' report
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The National Inquiry into the Separation of
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from Their Families was
established in May 1995 in response to efforts made by key Indigenous agencies
and communities. They were concerned that the general public's ignorance of the
history of forcible removal was hindering the recognition of the needs of its
victims and their families and the provision of services.
A key turning point was the 1994 Going Home
Conference in Darwin. Representatives from every state and territory met to
share experiences, to bring to light the history and its effects in each
jurisdiction and to devise strategies to meet the needs of those children and
their families who survive.
On 11 May 1995, the then Attorney-General,
Michael Lavarch MP, referred the issue of past and present practices of
separation of Indigenous children from their families to the Commission. The
Inquiry looked at four main issues or "terms of reference".
The first was to examine the past and
continuing effects of separation of individuals, families and communities. The
Inquiry relied upon Indigenous and non-Indigenous individuals, government and
non-government organisations to participate by making submissions or giving
evidence to the Inquiry.
The second was to identify what should be done
in response, which could entail recommendations to change laws, policies and
practices, to re-unite families and otherwise deal with losses caused by
separation.
The third was to find justification for, and
nature of, any compensation for those affected by separation.
The last looked at current laws, policies and
practices affecting the placement and care of Indigenous children. This
included looking into the welfare and juvenile justice systems, and advising on
any changes in the light of the principles of self-determination.
The Inquiry undertook an extensive program of hearings
in every capital city and in many
regional and smaller centres. The first hearings took place on 4
December 1995 on Flinders Island with the last round of hearings ending on 3
October 1996 in Sydney.
Places visited were:
New South Wales - Redfern, Campbelltown, Nowra,
Sydney, Grafton, Dubbo, Broken Hill and Wilcannia.
Australian Capital Territory - Canberra.
Victoria - Melbourne, Lake Tyers, Bairnsdale,
Morwell, Ballarat, Geelong, Framlingham, Portland, Mildura, Swan Hill and
Echuca.
Queensland - Brisbane, Rockhampton, Palm
Island, Townsville, Cairns and Thursday Island.
South Australia - Adelaide, Coober Pedy,
Glossop, Murray Bridge, Port Lincoln, Ceduna, Raukkan, Mount Gambier, Port
Augusta and Berri.
Western Australia - Perth, Halls Creek, Broome,
Bunbury, and Katunning.
Northern Territory - Darwin and Alice Springs.
Tasmania - Hobart, Flinders Island, Cape Barren
Island, Wybalenna, Launceston and Burnie.
Public evidence was taken from Indigenous
organisations and individuals, state and territory government representatives,
church representatives, other non-government agencies, former mission and
government employees and individual members of the community. Confidential
evidence was taken in private from Indigenous people affected by forcible and
from adoptive and foster parents. Many people and organisations made written submissions to
the Inquiry, including many who also gave oral evidence.
There were 777 submissions received which
included:
535 Indigenous individual and group
submissions;
49 church submissions;
7 government submissions; and 500 confidential
submissions.
Bringing
them home: The 'Stolen Children' report
’Missing’- A transcript of an Australian Broadcasting Corporation
documentary
By Kirstin Garrett
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