16th Anniversary of the Apology to Forgotten Australians and Former Child Migrants

This Sunday, 16 November, marks the 16th Anniversary of the 2009 Federal Apology to Forgotten Australians and Former Child Migrants.

The Apology was an important step in acknowledging the cruel, traumatic, unacceptable experiences faced by the children placed in welfare institutions and foster homes before 1990. It was important for the Government to accept responsibility for placing children in these dangerous environments and not ensuring they received appropriate care. The Apology provided validation to all those who went through these unimaginable experiences, many of whom were not believed when they tried to tell people.

The Apology also acknowledged and validated the ongoing impacts of those experiences, leaving unhealed wounds into adulthood for many.

The Anniversaries are an important opportunity to thank and honour the Forgotten Australians and Former Child Migrants who steadfastly fought for recognition, acknowledgement and validation. It is thanks to them that the 2004 Senate Inquiry was held and thanks to them that support services like Wattle Place and others exist.

On this anniversary, we support their continued calls for justice and ongoing support. The impacts from their childhoods continue to have an influence throughout their lives. The wider community is still largely unaware of Forgotten Australians and Former Child Migrants or their stories. We continue to advocate for their stories to become well-known, as part of Australia’s history.