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On National Sorry Day, Children’s Ground stands with survivors of the Stolen Generations, and with all families who carry the legacy of removal and harm. The pain of these policies is not confined to the past. It is held in the lives of those who survived and carried forward through generations. It lives in memory, in policy and in the systems that continue to separate children from family, culture and community.
We cannot allow another generation to grow up under systems that fail to learn from what has come before. Action must begin now and be led with urgency.
“What we see today is a continuation of the past,” said William Tilmouth, Arrernte leader and Chair of Children’s Ground. “Children continue to be taken from their families. Recognition needs to be more than just symbolic. Our country’s leaders need to ensure history is not repeated. Work must continue to repair the damage of the past and strengthen justice and equity for the future.”
National Sorry Day is a time to confront uncomfortable truths as a country and choose what kind of future we are building together.
For First Nations people, a bright future will only be possible when justice is more than a promise, and when change is guided by the leadership of communities who have been doing the work for generations.
As we begin National Reconciliation Week, we remember the communities who fought for First Nations recognition in the 1967 referendum, those who started the Tent Embassy, Eddie Mabo and the many others who fought for our land rights, and the generations of leaders whose courage and determination laid the foundations for the progress we continue to pursue. We are inspired by them, we honour them and we continue their vision.
Reconciliation does not begin with celebration. It begins with truth and recognition. It begins with the willingness to listen to what has been ignored and to invest in what has been undervalued. It begins with real partnership.
“There is good will out there and people are willing to walk with us. What matters is how we use that good will. If people can look at what they believe, question it, and choose something better, then real change is possible. That is what we are asking. Not for sympathy, but shared responsibility for what comes next,” said Mr Tilmouth.
That shared responsibility requires action.
Today is a moment to pause in truth and stand with those who carry the legacy of the Stolen Generations. It is also a time to look ahead. The choices we make now can shape a future led by justice, grounded in respect and defined by opportunity. By honouring the strength of the past and walking together in the present, we help build the bridge from now to what comes next. A future where every child grows up safe, proud and connected.
Children's Ground — Posted on 26 May 2025
