1990s
Still significant
Definition
Refers to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children who were forcibly removed from their families by Australian government agencies, church missions, and welfare bodies, under policies that operated from roughly the 1910s through the 1970s.
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The History Behind the "Stolen Generations"
The term entered national prominence through the 1997 "Bringing Them Home" report, a 680-page inquiry led by Sir Ronald Wilson and Mick Dodson that heard evidence from over 500 people and made 54 recommendations.
That report led directly to the first National Sorry Day in 1998 and Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's National Apology to Australia's Indigenous Peoples in 2008.
Example Sentence
Her grandmother was part of the Stolen Generations, taken from her family as a child.
How Aussies Actually Use It
Used as the formal historical term for the affected generations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and their descendants.
A central part of Australian history education and the country's ongoing process of reconciliation.
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