Walking Together for Healing and Reflection

Adelaide PHN staff joined in the annual Walk of Awareness on 13 February to mark the 18th anniversary of the National Apology to the Stolen Generation.

We walked together across the Birkenhead Bridge to acknowledge the legacy of broken cultural, spiritual and family ties, while uniting to share in the healing, before taking part in a Smoking Ceremony.

National Apology Day in Australia is observed on 13 February every year, commemorating the first ever national apology made by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd in 2008.

The apology marked the beginning of the Australian Government's rehabilitation, justice, and reconciliation agenda by acknowledging the tens of thousands of Aboriginal children who were forcibly removed from their families during Australia's assimilation era.

It relates to past laws, policies and practices that have impacted Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, particularly members of the Stolen Generations, and continues to impact members of the Stolen Generations and their families today.

The walk provided an opportunity to reflect on the significance of the Apology that was delivered 18 years ago, and recognise that while it was a pivotal moment in our nation's history, the journey toward truth, healing and reconciliation continues.