The Stolen Generations: Why Australia's indigenous children were taken from their families

The term 'Stolen Generations' refers to the practice of forcibly removing children of First Nations from their families from 1869 to 1970. 

These children were often placed with white foster families, adopted, or raised in orphanages, homes, and other institutions managed by government, religious, and welfare organizations. 

The phrase Stolen Generations was first coined in 1981 by Peter Read, a history professor at the Australian National University, and has been in use ever since.

The main motivation behind the Stolen Generations policy was to 'civilize' Indigenous Australian children and assimilate them into white society. 

The policy was also rooted in deeply racist ideologies that viewed Indigenous people as inferior and incapable of managing their own lives.

As a result, it was also used as way to erase the cultural identity of Indigenous Australians.

The initial 'native institution' in Parramatta, established in 1814, aimed to 'civilize' Indigenous Australian children.

It was one of the earliest examples of forced removal but occurred before the specific policies of the Stolen Generations era.

Then, the Aboriginal Protection Act 1869, passed in Victoria, was one of the first laws in Australia to give authorities control over Indigenous people’s lives, including the removal of children.

The Aborigines Protection Act of 1909 in New South Wales gave the Aborigines Protection Board the authority to remove Indigenous children from their families.

The Aborigines Protection (Amendment) Act of 1915 further extended government control over the lives of First Nations people.

The Aboriginals Ordinance 1918 granted similar powers in the Northern Territory, which allowed authorities to separate children from their families and place them in missions or foster care.

Numerous state government policies mandated that First Nations children over the age of 14 seek employment.

An example of the institutions they were sent to include the Cootamundra Domestic Training Home for Aboriginal Girls in New South Wales.

Here, they trained removed children for domestic servitude, aiming to erase their connection to their cultural heritage.

Similarly, Kinchela Boys Home in New South Wales was notorious for the physical and emotional abuse suffered by Indigenous boys taken from their families.

Next, an assimilation policy was implemented to integrate Indigenous Australians into white Australian society.

In Australia, the assimilation process was overseen by each state government, with organizations known as Aboriginal Protection Boards or similar entities being responsible.

A.O. Neville, the Chief Protector of Aborigines in Western Australia from 1915 to 1940, was a key architect of assimilation policies, believing in the eventual absorption of Indigenous Australians into white society.

These bodies created the laws and resources that made the Stolen Generations possible, and each state had their own approach to the removal of children. 

Irrespective of the particular law or state, the underlying aim was consistent: to assimilate young First Nations children into European society, thereby diminishing their recollection and practice of indigenous culture.

In 1937, the Commonwealth and State Conference on Native Welfare officially adopted the policy of assimilation.

This cemented the removal of Indigenous children as a national priority but was primarily aimed at so-called 'half-caste' children.

A subsequent conference in 1951 reaffirmed the adoption of this policy.

Estimates suggest that anywhere between 10,000 and 100,000 Indigenous children were taken from their families from 1910 to 1970.

The precise number is uncertain because of inadequate record-keeping.

The Stolen Generations policy had a catastrophic impact. Many children suffered physical and emotional abuse, neglect, and were uprooted from their homes. 

Not only were First Nations children taken from their parents, but they were also torn apart from their siblings. 

After being removed from their families, many were shuffled between various institutions and foster homes, unable to find a sense of permanence or belonging.

The process of separation and rejection had long-term impacts on the children's emotional health as they became adults.

The 1997 Bringing Them Home report details the harrowing effects of the Stolen Generations policy, including over 500 personal testimonies from survivors of the Stolen Generations.

The report reveals that the forced separation of Indigenous Australian children profoundly affected their physical, emotional, and social health.

It highlights the enduring impacts of this distressing experience, such as poverty, social exclusion, mental health issues, and suicide. 

The anguish caused by this policy persists among the Stolen Generations' individuals even now.

In 1997, the Bringing Them Home report made recommendations for addressing the issues faced by members of the Stolen Generations.

Since then, a number of initiatives have been launched to support and commemorate the experiences of the people involved in the Stolen Generations.

In 2002, the first member of the Stolen Generations received financial compensation from the NSW Victims Compensation Tribunal.

In the landmark Trevorrow case of 2007, Bruce Trevorrow became the first member of the Stolen Generations to win compensation through the courts.

On February 13, 2008, the Prime Minister of Australia, Kevin Rudd, issued a formal apology to the members of the Stolen Generations, on behalf of all Australians.

Schools and educational institutions are integrating lessons about the Stolen Generations into their curricula, aiming to educate future generations about this somber chapter in Australia's history.

Reconciliation efforts between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians are crucial in addressing the consequences of the Stolen Generations. 

National Reconciliation Week, observed annually from May 27 to June 3, is an initiative designed to cultivate respectful relationships between the two communities. 

However, despite these efforts, the enduring impact of the Stolen Generations still resonates within Indigenous communities.