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99-685: The aims of the AAPA were to stop the removal of Aboriginal children from their homes , to gain equality between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal society, to preserve Indigenous cultural identity and citizenship, and to ensure Indigenous Australians were equipped to reach economic independence through reattaining land ownership. It also called for the eradication of the NSW Aborigines Protection Board (APB), and held that Indigenous people should be in charge of Indigenous matters. Founded in 1924 by Fred Maynard and publicly announced

198-569: A one drop rule to Aborigines like the American South did to people of African descent. In the Northern Territory , the segregation of Indigenous Australians of mixed descent from "full-blood" Indigenous people began with the government removing children of mixed descent from their communities and placing them in church-run missions, and later creating segregated reserves and compounds to hold all Indigenous Australians. This

297-546: A formal national apology and that it considers inappropriate the provision of monetary compensation for those forcibly and unjustifiably separated from their families, on the grounds that such practices were sanctioned by law at the time and were intended to "assist the people whom they affected". The Committee recommended "that the State party consider the need to address appropriately the extraordinary harm inflicted by these racially discriminatory practices." Activists highlighted

396-415: A long period of time, different policies at different times in different states (which also resulted in different definitions of target children), and incomplete records, accurate figures are difficult to establish. The academic Robert Manne has stated that the lower-end figure of one in 10 is more likely; he estimates that between 20,000 and 25,000 Aboriginal children were removed over six decades, based on

495-434: A matter of policy. White welfare officers, often supported by police, would descend on Aboriginal camps, round up all the children, separate the ones with light-coloured skin, bundle them into trucks and take them away. If their parents protested they were held at bay by police. According to the archaeologist and writer Josephine Flood , "The well-meaning but ill-conceived policy of forced assimilation of mixed-race Aborigines

594-553: A non-Indigenous man. The Aboriginal Protection Act 1869 (Vic) included the earliest legislation to authorise child removal from Aboriginal parents. The Central Board for the Protection of Aborigines had been advocating such powers since 1860. Passage of the Act gave the colony of Victoria a wide suite of powers over Aboriginal and "half-caste" persons, including the forcible removal of children, especially "at-risk" girls. Through

693-684: A recreation of areas of Olley's famous home studio, principally the Hat Factory and the Yellow Room. The region has a history of Italian settlement. The locality of New Italy was settled in 1882 by Italian pioneers who attempted to cultivate the area's difficult interior, while additional phases of migration followed in the 1920s and again with the post- World War II influx of European migrants anxious to escape their war-ravaged country. They typically leased hilly land from local farmers on which they cultivated bananas, moving to other trades when

792-594: A redress scheme for the territories , formerly controlled by the Commonwealth Government , was announced in August 2021. Northern Rivers Northern Rivers is the most northeasterly region of the Australian state of New South Wales , located between 590 and 820 kilometres (370 and 510 mi) north of the state capital, Sydney , and encompasses the catchments and fertile valleys of

891-628: A secondary education, three times as likely to have acquired a police record, and were twice as likely to use illicit drugs as were Aboriginal people who grew up in their ethnic community. The only notable advantage "removed" Aboriginal people achieved was a higher average income. The report noted this was likely due to the increased urbanisation of removed individuals, and greater access to welfare payments than for Aboriginal people living in remote communities. There seemed to be little evidence that removed mixed-race Aboriginal people had been successful in gaining better work even in urbanised areas. By around

990-538: A survey of self-identified Indigenous people by the television station ABS . According to the Bringing Them Home report: In certain regions and in certain periods the figure was undoubtedly much greater than one in ten. In that time not one Indigenous family has escaped the effects of forcible removal (confirmed by representatives of the Queensland and WA [Western Australia] Governments in evidence to

1089-469: A threat to the stability of the prevailing culture, or to a perceived racial or cultural "heritage". The Northern Territory Chief Protector of Aborigines, Dr. Cecil Cook , argued that "everything necessary [must be done] to convert the half-caste into a white citizen". Studies that were then viewed as scientific claimed that Australian Aborigines traits were less visible after mixing with Europeans than sub-Saharan African traits are, so Australia did not apply

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1188-609: A variety of conditions in missions, orphanages, reserves, and white foster homes. The Australian Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission 's National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from Their Families commenced in May 1995, presided over by the Commission's president Sir Ronald Wilson and its Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner Mick Dodson . During

1287-729: Is effectively a southern extension of the Gold Coast , and Byron Bay, which has developed a reputation as both a centre for relaxation and "alternative" health practices such as yoga , and at certain times of the year, a convenient out-of-town recreation area for partygoers from the major urban centres of south-east Queensland. The village of Nimbin , in the Lismore area, also attracts tourists interested in its reputation for environmental and alternative living initiatives such as permaculture , sustainability, and self-sufficiency, as well as its often-cited counterculture which includes lobbying for

1386-459: Is now universally condemned for the trauma and loss of language and culture it brought to the stolen children and their families." One of the recommendations of the 1997 Bringing Them Home report was for Australian parliaments to offer an official apology. A decade later, on 13 February 2008, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd presented an apology to Indigenous Australians as a motion to be voted on by

1485-750: Is unknown. Estimates of numbers have been widely disputed. The Bringing Them Home report (produced by the National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from Their Families in 1987), says that "at least 100,000" children were removed from their parents. This figure was estimated by multiplying the Aboriginal population in 1994 (303,000), by the report's maximum estimate of "one in three" Aboriginal persons separated from their families. The report stated that "between one in three and one in ten" children were separated from their families. Given differing populations over

1584-604: The Clarence , Richmond , and Tweed rivers. It extends from Tweed Heads in the north (adjacent to the Queensland border) to the southern extent of the Clarence river catchment which lies between Grafton and Coffs Harbour , and includes the main towns of Tweed Heads , Byron Bay , Ballina , Kyogle , Lismore , Casino and Grafton. At its most northern point, the region is 102 kilometres (63 mi) south-southeast of

1683-638: The Paul Keating government. At the Australian Reconciliation Convention in May 1997, Howard was quoted as saying: "Australians of this generation should not be required to accept guilt and blame for past actions and policies." Following publication of the report, the parliament of the Northern Territory and the state parliaments of Victoria, South Australia, and New South Wales passed formal apologies to

1782-574: The Southern Cross University , which is headquartered at Lismore and has campuses in Tweed Heads and Coffs Harbour . The North Coast Institute of TAFE has campuses at Lismore , Ballina , Casino , Grafton , Kingscliff , Maclean , Trenayr, Wollongbar and Yamba . There are several local sporting competitions, including: The region has also produced several famous sportspeople, including: Some sporting venues on

1881-643: The " Big Scrub ", an extensive area of subtropical rainforest that was largely cleared for timber-getting and subsequently dairy farming in the nineteenth century. The major towns of the area developed at the navigable heads of the local river systems (Murwillumbah on the Tweed, Lismore on the Wilsons – a tributary of the Richmond – and Grafton on the Clarence) rather than on the coast, in order to be able to transport

1980-672: The 2014 Bentley blockade, which protested against exploratory drilling for gas at that location, and flow-on community reaction which eventually led to the New South Wales State Government buying back a coal seam gas exploration licence covering more than 500,000 hectares across the region in October 2015. Prior to European settlement in the nineteenth century, the region was home to the Aboriginal Bundjalung people (or Bandjalang) (including

2079-586: The AAPA is still debated as there is no solid reason for its disintegration. Some believe the cause to be the rise of the Great Depression in Australia , while Maynard's children attribute it to the scarcity of their father's work. Uralla elder Reuben Kelly believed it to be because of Maynard's lack of persuasiveness. The association is not heard about much today; however, Australia's later Aboriginal political movements have been greatly influenced by

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2178-401: The AAPA. Flanders was representing Bowraville . This branch recognised its economic stability and decided it would help fund the AAPA through holding cricket matches for young men. Representative for Maclean , Mr Shannan, pushed for the values of the AAPA in his respective branch similar to other representatives and delegates. As it is the proud boast of Australia that every person born beneath

2277-506: The Aboriginal people affected. On 26 May 1998, the first " National Sorry Day " was held; reconciliation events such as the Walk for Reconciliation across Sydney Harbour Bridge and in other cities were held nationally, and attended by a total of more than one million people. As public pressure continued to increase on the government, Howard drafted a Motion of Reconciliation with Senator Aden Ridgeway , expressing "deep and sincere regret over

2376-630: The Australian federal and state government agencies and church missions , under acts of their respective parliaments. The removals of those referred to as " half-caste " children were conducted in the period between approximately 1905 and 1967, although in some places mixed-race children were still being taken into the 1970s. Official government estimates are that in certain regions between one in ten and one in three Indigenous Australian children were forcibly taken from their families and communities between 1910 and 1970. Numerous 19th and early 20th century contemporaneous documents indicate that

2475-653: The Board to "steal the child away from its parents." At least two members argued that the amendment would result in children being subjected to unpaid labour (at institutions or farms) tantamount to "slavery". Writing in the 21st century, Professor Peter Read said that Board members, in recording reasons for removal of children, noted simply "For being Aboriginal." In 1909, the Protector of Aborigines in South Australia , William Garnet South , reportedly "lobbied for

2574-613: The Howard government for its handling of issues related to the Stolen Generations. The UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination concluded its discussion of Australia's 12th report on its actions by acknowledging "the measures taken to facilitate family reunion and to improve counselling and family support services for the victims", but expressed concern: that the Commonwealth Government does not support

2673-509: The Inquiry). Most families have been affected, in one or more generations, by the forcible removal of one or more children. The report closely examined the distinctions between "forcible removal", "removal under threat or duress", "official deception", "uninformed voluntary release", and "voluntary release". The evidence indicated that in numerous cases, children were brutally and forcibly removed from their parent or parents, possibly even from

2772-503: The NSW APB. In 1927, AAPA published a manifesto , which it delivered to all both state and federal governments, and also published it widely across NSW, South Australia , Victoria , and Queensland . It requested for an Aboriginal board to be established under the Commonwealth Government , and for control by state governments over Aboriginal lives to end. It proposed a board board comprising Aboriginal elected officers. The association

2871-467: The NSW APB. In 1915, the act introduced an amendment which allowed for the removal of Indigenous Australians under 21. The practice of removing Indigenous children from their homes was an attempt by the Australian government to improve their welfare and protect the children from neglect through assimilation. This policy lasted from the 1910s to the 1970s. Around one in three Indigenous children were removed from their homes and families under this policy. Once

2970-895: The Northern Rivers includes: The Northern Rivers has its own orchestras, the Northern Rivers Symphony Orchestra based in Murwillumbah and the Lismore Symphony Orchestra. Murwillumbah, Lismore and Grafton all have regional art galleries; that at Murwillumbah (the Tweed Regional Gallery) includes the Margaret Olley Art Centre named after the prominent locally-born Australian artist Margaret Olley and includes examples of her work plus

3069-429: The Queensland capital, Brisbane . As with all regions of New South Wales, it has no official status, although state government department offices and local governments in the area work together for purposes such as tourism, education, water catchment management and waste management. This area has a mild, sub-tropical climate. Major industries are agriculture, fisheries, public services (particularly health) and tourism;

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3168-727: The Southern Cross is born free, irrespective of origin, race, colour, creed, religion or any other impediment. We the representatives of the original people, in conference assembled, demand that we shall be accorded the same full right and privileges of citizenship as are enjoyed by all other sections of the community. - Fred Maynard The organisation was inspired by the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) and their leader, Marcus Garvey , in how they approached gaining government attention. The AAPA held street marches and conventions similar to

3267-518: The Stolen Generations and related Aboriginal issues during the Sydney 2000 Summer Olympics . They set up a large "Aboriginal Tent City" on the grounds of Sydney University to bring attention to Aboriginal issues in general. Cathy Freeman is an Aboriginal athlete who was chosen to light the Olympic flame and won the gold medal in the 400 metre sprint. In interviews, she said that her own grandmother

3366-550: The Stolen Generations, and the practices that created them, grew in the late 1980s through the efforts of Aboriginal and white activists , artists, and musicians ( Archie Roach 's " Took the Children Away " and Midnight Oil 's " The Dead Heart " being examples of the latter). The Mabo v Queensland (No 2) case (commonly known as the Mabo case ) attracted great media and public attention to itself and to all issues related to

3465-488: The Stolen Generations, with this resulting in unstable parenting and family situations. Historian Professor Peter Read , then at the Australian National University , was the first to use the phrase "stolen generation". He published a magazine article on the topic with this title, based on his research. He expanded the article into a book, The Stolen Generations (1981). Widespread awareness of

3564-662: The UNIA as well as publishing articles in local newspapers. Maynard's presence in newspapers is what led to the APB's decision to remove his rights to visit and speak on Aboriginal reserves . The organisation led protests and street rallies in an attempt to change Australia's political system to achieve the rights of Indigenous Australians. They held conferences, wrote to newspapers and petitioned political leaders. The AAPA held three more conferences each year before their operations ceased. Several of these were held at St David's hall, including

3663-741: The Widjabul of the Lismore region, the Arakwal of the Byron Bay area, and the Kalibal and Minjungbal of the Tweed and Queensland border) and the Gumbaynggirr and Yaegl peoples to the south, which collectively still form a component of the local population, and have been successful in some native title land claims on behalf of local Bandjalang and Yaegl communities. The region contains

3762-450: The actual parentage of the child, or such details as the date or place of birth. As is stated in the report: the physical infrastructure of missions, government institutions and children's homes was often very poor and resources were insufficient to improve them or to keep the children adequately clothed, fed and sheltered. The children were taken into care purportedly to protect them from neglect and abuse. However sexual assault and abuse

3861-451: The age of 16 or 21, often determining where they could live or work. Policemen or other agents of the state (some designated as "Aboriginal Protection Officers") were given the power to locate and transfer babies and children of mixed descent from their mothers, families, and communities into institutions for care. In these Australian states and territories, institutions (both government and missionary) for half-caste children were established in

3960-663: The age of 18 years", thus providing the legal basis for enforcing segregation. After the Commonwealth took control of the Territory, under the Aboriginals Ordinance 1918 , the Chief Protector was given total control of all Indigenous women regardless of their age, unless married to a man who was "substantially of European origin", and his approval was required for any marriage of an Indigenous woman to

4059-637: The age of 18, the children were released from government control. In cases where their files were available, individuals were sometimes allowed to view their own files. According to the testimony of one Aboriginal person: I was requested to attend at the Sunshine Welfare Offices, where they formerly (sic) discharged me from State ward ship. It took the Senior Welfare Officer a mere 20 minutes to come clean, and tell me everything that my heart had always wanted to know...that I

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4158-524: The apology turned their backs on the screens that broadcast Nelson speaking. In Perth , people booed and jeered until the screen was switched off. In Parliament House's Great Hall, elements of the audience began a slow clap , with some finally turning their backs. The apology was unanimously adopted by the House of Representatives , although six members of Nelson's opposition caucus left the House in protest at

4257-745: The apology. Later that day, the Senate considered a motion for an identical apology, which was also passed unanimously. Beforehand, the Leader of the Greens , Senator Bob Brown , attempted to amend the motion to include words committing parliament to offering compensation to those who suffered loss under past Indigenous policies, but was opposed by all the other parties. The states all have redress schemes: first Tasmania (2006), followed by Western Australia (2007), Queensland (2012), South Australia (2015), New South Wales (2017) and Victoria (2022), while

4356-422: The areas of employment and post-secondary education, the removed children had about the same results as those who were not removed. In the early decades of the program, post-secondary education was limited for most Australians, but the removed children lagged behind their white contemporaries as educational opportunities improved. The study indicated that removed Aboriginal people were less likely to have completed

4455-491: The beginning of the AAPA, McKenzie-Hatton had written more than 600 letters to the media and others of interest, and racked up travelling expenses exceeding 40 pounds, travelling over 5,000 mi (8,000 km). She also helped gain support for Aboriginal people globally. Stolen Generations The Stolen Generations (also known as Stolen Children ) were the children of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent who were removed from their families by

4554-426: The children were removed they would be forced into Caucasian society which banned them from speaking their Indigenous language or partake in any practices from their traditional culture. This included changing their names and overall identities. The children were abused and mistreated. This example of Aboriginal mistreatment and corrupt government policy is one of the reasons the association was created to speak against

4653-455: The children. Documentary evidence, such as newspaper articles and reports to parliamentary committees , suggest a range of rationales. Apparent motivations included the belief that the Aboriginal people would die out, given their catastrophic population decline after white contact, the belief that they were heathens and were better off in non-indigenous households, and the belief that full-blooded Aboriginal people resented miscegenation and

4752-516: The commission: I've got everything that could be reasonably expected: a good home environment, education, stuff like that, but that's all material stuff. It's all the non-material stuff that I didn't have—the lineage... You know, you've just come out of nowhere; there you are. In 2015, many of the recommendations of Bringing Them Home were yet to be fulfilled. In 2017, 35% of all children in out-of-home care in Australia identify as being Aboriginal, an increase from 20% in 1997 when Bringing Them Home

4851-644: The conference made the front page of The Daily Guardian , a Sydney newspaper, on 24 April 1925. In October 1925, a second conference was held, this time in Kempsey, New South Wales . More than 700 Aboriginal people attended the three-day event, where various individuals as well as other Aboriginal associations' members spoke. At the Kempsey gathering, representatives from across the Northern Rivers region were in attendance. This purpose of this conference

4950-568: The courage to stand together in the past, but now we are united, and are determined to work for the preservation for all of those interests, which are near and dear to us. - Fred Maynard J. Johnstone was the vice-president of the AAPA. Johnstone came from a family who, in 1882, settled the Wingham reserve and had it removed from them in 1921. Johnstone was similarly in the Aborigines Progressive Association , under

5049-470: The decriminalisation of recreational and medicinal cannabis , as evidenced by its annual MardiGrass celebration. Following some decades of population decline with the reduction of certain primary industry (in particular dairying), the area is now seeing a population increase, in part because of the availability of ex-dairy land for newer niche crops and hobby farms along with an influx of "sea change" and "tree change" families, as well as retirees attracted by

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5148-518: The determination of all Australians, Indigenous and non-Indigenous, to close the gap that lies between us in life expectancy, educational achievement, and economic opportunity. A future where we embrace the possibility of new solutions to enduring problems where old approaches have failed. A future based on mutual respect, mutual resolve and mutual responsibility. A future where all Australians, whatever their origins, are truly equal partners, with equal opportunities and with an equal stake in shaping

5247-703: The early decades of the 20th century to care for and to educate the mixed-race children taken from their families, with the goal of assimilation into Anglo-Australian society. Examples of such institutions include Moore River Native Settlement in Western Australia, Doomadgee Aboriginal Mission in Queensland , Ebenezer Mission in Victoria, and Wellington Valley Mission in New South Wales , as well as Catholic missions such as Beagle Bay and Garden Point . The exact number of children removed

5346-471: The ensuing 17 months, the Inquiry visited every state and Territory in Australia, heard testimony from 535 Aboriginal Australians, and received submissions of evidence from more than 600 more. In April 1997, the Commission released its official Bringing Them Home report. Between the commissioning of the National Inquiry and the release of the final report in 1997, the government of John Howard had replaced

5445-614: The eradication of the NSW Aborigines Protection board , and that Indigenous people be in charge of Indigenous matters. Approximately 500 members joined the association within the first six months of its commencement. Maynard had been involved in another organisation, the Coloured Progressive Association, a decade earlier, and he and co-leader Tom Lacey were inspired by the ideas of Jamaican activist Marcus Garvey . The organisation

5544-436: The following year, the aim of the association was to defend the rights of Aboriginal people. This included stopping the removal of Aboriginal children from their homes, gaining equality with non-Aboriginal society, preserving Indigenous cultural identity , gaining Australian citizenship , and ensuring that Indigenous Australians were equipped to reach economic independence through reattaining land ownership. The AAPA called for

5643-563: The foundation built by Maynard and the AAPA. The organisation gave a voice to Aboriginal people across Australia to fight against the oppression faced by Aboriginal people under Australia's colonial regime. This was the first time Australia had witnessed Aboriginal political protest, so it had significant impact. The organisation left public memory shortly after their discontinuation due to continuous police scrutiny and government pressure, but has re-entered public discussion in recent times due to research by John Maynard into his grandfather, as well

5742-510: The government treatment of Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islanders in Australia, and most notably the Stolen Generations. In early 1995, Rob Riley , an activist with the Aboriginal Legal Service , published Telling Our Story. It described the large-scale negative effects of past government policies that resulted in the removal of thousands of mixed-race Aboriginal children from their families and their being reared in

5841-532: The government. Alongside this, land allocated to Indigenous Australians was reduced from 26,000 acres to 13,000 acres between the years 1913 and 1927, forcing families to relocate from their homelands. The first conference was held in April 1925 in St David's church hall, Riley Street, Surry Hills, with over 200 Aboriginal people in attendance. It caught the attention of the public, the media, and authorities. News of

5940-402: The half-yearly conference held to outline the progress of the AAPA. The editor of Newcastle paper The Voice of North, J. J. Maloney, was an ally of Maynard. Maloney published Maynard's various pieces in his newspaper about Aboriginal rights and striving for self-sufficiency and Indigenous governance, raising concerns about the oppression towards Aboriginal Australians and the ineffectiveness of

6039-461: The hospital shortly after birth, when identified as mixed-race babies. Aboriginal Protection Officers often made the judgement to remove certain children. In some cases, families were required to sign legal documents to relinquish care to the state. In Western Australia, the Aborigines Act 1905 removed the legal guardianship of Aboriginal parents. It made all their children legal wards of

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6138-491: The house. The apology text was as follows: I move: That today we honour the Indigenous 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

6237-857: The late 19th and early 20th century, similar policies and legislation were adopted by other states and territories, such as the Aboriginals Protection and Restriction of the Sale of Opium Act 1897 (Qld), the Aboriginals Ordinance 1918 (NT), the Aborigines Act 1934 (SA), and the 1936 Native Administration Act (WA). As a result of such legislation, states arranged widespread removal of (primarily) mixed-race children from their Aboriginal mothers. In addition, appointed Aboriginal protectors in each state exercised wide-ranging guardianship powers over Aboriginal people up to

6336-427: The leadership of William Ferguson . James Linwood also lost his 20 acres (8.1 ha) of land in 1924 after the land revocation. Linwood, as a valued public speaker, was the first of many to address the members of the AAPA at their first conference in 1925. Members Joe Anderson and his brothers lost their land in 1924 in the Burragorang valley , forcing the family to relocate to Sydney and leave their homeland. This

6435-414: The message of the AAPA. She supported the cause by funding a home for young Aboriginal girls who were escaping violence from their place of work, which were under the control of the AAPA. The homes were in direct opposition to government homes, which led to the APB ordering constant surveillance and harassment by police of the homes. The home began in 1924 and ceased operations in 1925. Within six months of

6534-557: The mistreatment of Aboriginal people throughout Australia's past. The year 1788 marked the first year Europeans placed Indigenous Australians amongst new diseases, violence, dispossession and displacement. Leading to a significant decrease in the Indigenous population and the slow removal of their culture throughout the nation. The Aborigines Protection Act 1909 was introduced in the 20th century, which aimed to protect Indigenous Australians through methods such as assimilation . The introduction of this law gave power to organisations such as

6633-404: The mixed-race children fathered and abandoned by white men. The stated aim of the "resocialisation" program was to improve the integration of Aboriginal people into modern [European-Australian] society; however, a recent study conducted in Melbourne reported that there was no tangible improvement in the social position of "removed" Aboriginal people as compared to "non-removed". Particularly in

6732-402: The next chapter in the history of this great country, Australia. The text of the apology did not refer to compensation to Aboriginal people generally or to members of the Stolen Generations specifically. Rudd followed the apology with a 20-minute speech to the house about the need for this action. The government's apology and his speech were widely applauded among both Indigenous Australians and

6831-463: The non-Indigenous general public. Opposition leader Brendan Nelson also delivered a 20-minute speech. He endorsed the apology but in his speech Nelson referred to the "under-policing" of child welfare in Aboriginal communities, as well as a host of social ills blighting the lives of Aboriginal people. His speech was considered controversial and received mixed reactions. Thousands of people who had gathered in public spaces in around Australia to hear

6930-439: The north-west and South East Queensland directly to the north. The southern boundary is the Dorrigo ranges, which also mark the southern boundary for the Clarence River Basin. The defining characteristic of the region are the fertile valleys of the Clarence , Richmond and Tweed rivers and their sources, hence the region's name; and the region's white sandy beaches. The following local government areas are contained within

7029-448: 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. We the Parliament of Australia respectfully request that this apology be received in

7128-842: The policemen pulled us off and threw us back in the car. They pushed the mothers away and drove off, while our mothers were chasing the car, running and crying after us. We were screaming in the back of that car. When we got to Broome they put me and my cousin in the Broome lock-up. We were only ten years old. We were in the lock-up for two days waiting for the boat to Perth. The report discovered that removed children were, in most cases, placed into institutional facilities operated by religious or charitable organisations. A significant number, particularly females, were "fostered" out. Children taken to such institutions were trained to be assimilated to Anglo-Australian culture. Policies included punishment for speaking their local Indigenous languages. The intention

7227-534: The policy of removing mixed-race Aboriginal children from their mothers related to an assumption that the Aboriginal peoples were dying off. Given their catastrophic population decline after white contact, whites assumed that the full-blood tribal Aboriginal population would be unable to sustain itself, and was doomed to extinction . The idea expressed by A. O. Neville , the Chief Protector of Aborigines for Western Australia , and others as late as 1930

7326-499: The power to remove Aboriginal children without a court hearing because the courts sometimes refused to accept that the children were neglected or destitute". South argued that "all children of mixed descent should be treated as neglected". His lobbying reportedly played a part in the enactment of the Aborigines Act (1911). This designated his position as the legal guardian of every Aboriginal child in South Australia, not only

7425-714: The region is also popular for niche crops, hobby farmers, and retirees from life in the larger cities. The Northern Rivers region is bounded by the Coral Sea and the Tasman Sea to the east and the New England region to the west, where the Great Dividing Range forms a mountainous boundary. To the north is the border between New South Wales and Queensland, where the Darling Downs are located to

7524-577: The region is an important sugarcane growing area with smaller contributions from coffee, bananas and assorted tropical fruit and vegetables. The hills with their red volcanic soils inland from Byron Bay provide Australia's main region for the cultivation of macadamia trees which are used for their production of both raw nuts and macadamia oil. Ballina is a fishing port and was a centre for Australia's east coast offshore prawn industry, although boat numbers have declined in recent years, while additional vessels operate out of Iluka and Yamba . Byron Bay

7623-622: The region's subtropical climate and unique combination of lifestyle attributes. From the 1970s onwards, the northern portion of the region has also been the scene of successful environmental protests aimed at preventing the destruction of the area's significant natural assets, including the 1979 Terania Creek anti-logging protest in the Nightcap National Park which led to the then Wran State Government gazetting remaining rainforest in New South Wales as National Parks,

7722-523: The region: The region is traversed by the Pacific Highway , Bruxner Highway , Clarence Way, Summerland Way and the North Coast railway line which links Sydney to Brisbane. The northernmost part of the region contains Mount Warning and the surrounding remnants of the long-extinct Tweed Volcano , portions of which extend into southern Queensland . Immediately to the south was formerly

7821-625: The removal of Aboriginal children from their parents", which was passed by the federal parliament in August 1999. Howard said that the Stolen Generation represented "the most blemished chapter in the history of this country". Activists took the issue of the Stolen Generations to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights . At its hearing on this subject in July 2000, the Commission on Human Rights strongly criticised

7920-404: The so-called "half-castes". The Bringing Them Home report identified instances of official misrepresentation and deception, such as when caring and able parents were incorrectly described by Aboriginal Protection Officers as not being able to properly provide for their children. In other instances, parents were told by government officials that their child or children had died, even though this

8019-442: The spirit in which it is offered as part of the healing of the nation. For the future we take heart; resolving that this new page in the history of our great continent can now be written. We today take this first step by acknowledging the past and laying claim to a future that embraces all Australians. A future where this Parliament resolves that the injustices of the past must never, never happen again. A future where we harness

8118-637: The state, so the government did not require parental permission to relocate the mixed-race children to institutions. In 1915, in New South Wales, the Aborigines Protection Amending Act 1915 gave the Aborigines' Protection Board authority to remove Aboriginal children "without having to establish in court that they were neglected." At the time, some members of Parliament objected to the NSW amendment; one member stated it enabled

8217-462: The valuable timber products (in particular the Australian red cedar, Toona ciliata ) to markets interstate and overseas. Dairy production in the region was extensive up until the 1970s and many towns in the area retain their dairy processing plants ("butter factories") from that era, now largely re-purposed for other uses; dairy cattle were then largely replaced with beef cattle for economic reasons, although some dairy production remains. The north of

8316-476: The workings of the AAPA. He has likened the demands of the AAPA to the 2023 proposal for an Indigenous Voice to Parliament , which grew out of the 2017 Uluru Statement from the Heart . Fred Maynard was born in 1879, and was the founder and leader of the AAPA. Maynard was a Worimi man who aimed to voice his disapproval of Aboriginal mistreatment. Maynard's uncle Tom Phillips was an Aboriginal farmer whose reserve

8415-402: 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

8514-427: Was Anderson's motivation to become an activist for AAPA. Anderson wrote speeches and rallied with the AAPA to demand equality. Elizabeth McKenzie-Hatton was a non-Indigenous woman from Victoria (and therefore not eligible for membership of AAPA), who supported their causes and among other activities, was involved in lobbying politicians by a campaign of writing letters to them. She also travelled around NSW to spread

8613-528: Was a response to public concern over the increase in the number of mixed-descent children and sexual exploitation of young Aboriginal women by non-Indigenous men, as well as fears among non-Indigenous people of being outnumbered by a mixed-descent population. Under the Northern Territory Aboriginals Act 1910 , the Chief Protector of Aborigines was appointed the "legal guardian of every Aboriginal and every half-caste child up to

8712-456: Was a victim of forced removal. The internationally successful rock group Midnight Oil attracted worldwide media interest by performing at the Olympic closing ceremony in black sweatsuits with the word "SORRY" emblazoned across them. In 2000, Australian journalist Phillip Knightley summed up the Stolen Generations in these terms: This cannot be over-emphasized—the Australian government literally kidnapped these children from their parents as

8811-438: Was at one time a centre for commercial whaling as well as mineral extraction via sand mining. Further south, the rural portions of the Clarence river catchment are predominantly used for forestry, agriculture and grazing. The region as a whole includes a significant component of New South Wales' state forests and national parks, and tourism is important in the north of the region in particular, especially in Tweed Heads , which

8910-680: Was based in Surry Hills , Sydney, but eventually expanded to 11 branches across New South Wales, and over 500 active members. It campaigned against the NSW Aborigines Protection Board (APB) to gain Indigenous rights to land , identity and citizenship, alongside the fight to end the removal of Aboriginal children from their homes (now known as the Stolen Generations ). The AAPA was motivated by

9009-560: Was dissolved by the end of 1927. Aboriginal studies scholar John Maynard , Fred Maynard's grandson, believes that the main reason for the breakup of AAPA was harassment by police acting on behalf of the APB. The Inspector General of New South Wales Police was also APB chairman. AAPA members were threatened by police with gaol or removal of their children, and the APB ran smear campaigns in newspapers about AAPA members, especially Fred Maynard, and gave biased information about them to men in power, just as NSW Premier Jack Lang . The end of

9108-423: Was not the case. One first-hand account referring to events in 1935 stated: I was at the post office with my Mum and Auntie [and cousin]. They put us in the police ute and said they were taking us to Broome. They put the mums in there as well. But when we'd gone [about ten miles (16 km)] they stopped, and threw the mothers out of the car. We jumped on our mothers' backs, crying, trying not to be left behind. But

9207-426: Was of "Aboriginal descent", that I had a Natural mother, father, three brothers and a sister, who were alive...He placed in front of me 368 pages of my file, together with letters, photos and birthday cards. He informed me that my surname would change back to my Mother's maiden name of Angus. The Bringing Them Home report condemned the policy of disconnecting children from their cultural heritage. One witness said to

9306-504: Was published. A 2019 study by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) found that children living in households with members of the Stolen Generations are more likely "to experience a range of adverse outcomes", including poor health , especially mental health , missing school and living in poverty. There are high incidences of anxiety , depression , PTSD and suicide , along with alcohol abuse , among

9405-801: Was taken by the NSW APB in 1916, and access to the reserve by Indigenous people was removed entirely. Maynard rose to leadership through use of his skills in public speaking to voice the concerns of Indigenous Australians. Due to his pervasive and passionate stance against the NSW APB, his rights to speak on Aboriginal reserves were revoked. Maynard had connections with members of the Coloured Progressive Association (CPA), that operated in Sydney from 1903 to 1919, and Marcus Garvey's Universal Negro Improvement Association . Maynard and Tom Lacey took inspiration from Garvey's leadership role and his message preaching cultural pride. We want to work out our own destiny. Our people have not had

9504-638: Was that mixed-race children could be trained to work in white society, and over generations would marry white and be assimilated into the society. The Colony of Victoria was the first to pass acts (1869 and 1886) that allowed for the removal of mixed-race persons from Aboriginal reserves. With an 1899 regulation expressly granting permission for the removal of Aboriginal children from their families. Some European Australians considered any proliferation of mixed-descent children (labelled "half-castes", "crossbreeds", " quadroons ", and " octoroons ", terms now considered derogatory to Indigenous Australians) to be

9603-417: Was to discuss the best approaches to furthering the AAPA. Eugene Miranda, President of Kempsey branch of the AAPA, introduced the conference, expressing his passion towards the association and political, spiritual and social connections he had to the group. John Donovan represented Nambucca Heads . On his return from the previous conference in Sydney, he congregated people together to form a new branch to expand

9702-460: Was to educate them for a different future and to prevent their being socialised in Aboriginal cultures . The boys were generally trained as agricultural labourers and the girls as domestic servants ; these were the chief occupations of many Europeans at the time in the largely rural areas outside cities. A common aspect of the removals was the failure by these institutions to keep records of

9801-545: Was widespread, with the report finding that among the 502 inquiry witnesses, 17% of female witnesses and 7.7% of male witnesses reported having suffered a sexual assault while in an institution, at work, or while living with a foster or adoptive family. Beyond this, conditions in the institutions were found to be invariably poor, with severe discipline, excessive child labour, poor nutrition, physical and emotional abuse, and poor quality education. Staff were found to be generally unqualified and given complete control and power over

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