Under a government policy that ran from 1910 to, unbelievably, 1971, up to 100,000 Aboriginal children were taken forcibly or under duress from their families by police or welfare officers.
As many as 1 in 10 of all Aboriginal children were removed from their families in an effort to "civilize" them by assimilation into white society.
There was no judicial process. To be Aboriginal was enough. They are known as the ‘Stolen Generations’.
WHY WERE THEY TAKEN ?
- The main motive was to ‘assimilate’ Aboriginal children into European society over one or two generations by denying and destroying their Aboriginality.
- Speaking their languages and practising their ceremonies was forbidden
- They were taken miles from their country, some overseas
- Parents were not told where their children were and could not trace them
- Children were told that they were orphans
- Family visits were discouraged or forbidden; letters were destroyed.
WHAT HAPPENED TO THEM ?
- Most were raised in Church or state institutions. Some were fostered or adopted.
- Many suffered physical and sexual abuse. Food and living conditions were poor.
- They received little education
THE RESULTS ?
- Most grew up in a hostile environment without family ties or cultural identity.
- As adults, many suffered insecurity, lack of self esteem, feelings of worthlessness, depression, suicide, violence, delinquency, abuse of alcohol and drugs and inability to trust.
- Lacking a parental model, many had difficulty bringing up their own children.
- The scale of separation also had profound consequences for the whole Aboriginal community - anger, powerlessness and lack of purpose as well as an abiding distrust of Government, police and officials.
