Stolen Generations organisations from across Australia have issued an urgent challenge, just months out from the 30th anniversary of the landmark Bringing Them Home report, for governments and the nation to ensure the experiences, truths and recommendations of the report are not forgotten and commit to change for survivors and descendants.
More than 100 representatives from over 20 Stolen Generations Organisations came together this week in Adelaide, on Kaurna Country, for The Gathering 2026, hosted by The Healing Foundation.
The Healing Foundation CEO Leonie Williamson said that, despite repeated evidence showing the worsened outcomes experienced by Stolen Generations survivors and their descendants as a direct result of deliberate government policies of forced removal, the sector is tired and frustrated by the lack of action by governments on most of the recommendations of Bringing Them Home.
‘It is clear that the challenges faced by Stolen Generations survivors and their descendants, who make up almost half of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population, are those of a fragmented and unresponsive system. But they are not insurmountable. They can be addressed through urgent action in the critical areas of health and aged care, access to records, and redress,’ she said.
‘We heard over and again at The Gathering that our organisations, often led by small teams of volunteers and survivors, are stretched to their limits in trying to provide supports for ageing Stolen Generations survivors who are not receiving services needed.
‘Some organisations in NSW are now being faced with closure within the next 12 months if they cannot secure urgent funding.’
Priorities
A statement issued at the close of The Gathering called for action on four priority fronts:
- Redress
- Health and aged care
- Funding
- Truth telling.
New Chair of The Healing Foundation Board, Dr John Paterson, whose own siblings were taken from family to Retta Dixon home in Darwin for many years, said the message of The Gathering was loud and clear.
‘Thirty years on from Bringing them Home, we should not have to beg. The anniversary should be a line in the sand and a wake-up call: survivors, their descendants, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities have waited long enough,’ he said.
‘Our survivors are ageing. Every year we lose people who were never given the opportunity to reconnect to family or their country. Once we lose that opportunity, we can’t go back.
‘Much more needs to be done – but The Gathering showed that our sector is strong, united and ready to lead. Survivors and their organisations have the knowledge, experience and solutions. Governments must now listen, invest and act alongside us.’
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