Our Healing. Our Future. timeline of trauma and healing in

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children have been taken from their families since the start of colonisation in Australia. Children were kidnapped, taken for labour and removed from their families through government policies of the day. This timeline looks at some of the events, trauma and healing that’s taken place in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities over the last two and a half centuries. The dates in this timeline are a selection representing the breadth of events that have occurred. This is not intended to be a complete list.

60,000BC 42,000BC 1770 1788 1789 1794 1814 1830 Archaeological evidence Mungo Man buried in Captain James Cook The First Fleet Smallpox decimates the Colonists begin farming on the Governor Macquarie The Black Wars suggests a rock shelter was a shallow grave. declares possession of arrives in Sydney. Aboriginal population of Hawesbury. opens a school for begin in used by people at a site in the east coast. Botany Bay, Port Jackson and Aboriginal people dispossessed Aboriginal children Tasmania. Arnhem Land. Broken Bay. from their lands. in Parramatta.

1836 1838 1848 1865 1869 1870 1877 1879 Committee of the British House – New Norcia The Ballarat District becomes the first state to pass laws The first Aboriginal The Torres Strait of Commons reports is first time colonists were Orphan Asylum is authorising child removal from Aboriginal children enrolled in Hermannsburg Islands happening in the colonies. punished in a court for established established. It hosted parents. Similar policies and legislation were public schools in Mission is annexed to The Doomadgee Mission is set their crimes. in Western thousands of ‘neglected’ later adopted by other states and territories. . established. . up in Far North Queensland. Australia. children.

1883 1887 1890 1897 1901 1904 1905 The New South Wales Parramatta Girls , a resistance Queensland introduces laws The become The Aborigines Act is Aborigines Protection Industrial School fighter in the Kimberley, allowing removal of Aboriginal Commonwealth subject to the Queensland Aboriginal passed in , making Board is established opens. declares war on Europeans people from their land and of Australia is Protection Act. Their islands become the ‘chief protector’ the legal guardian to manage the lives of and prevents settlement for children from their families. formed. reserves. Cherbourg Mission is also of Aboriginal children. 9000 people. six years. established in Queensland.

1908 1909 1911 1912 1913 1915 The Invalid and Old Age Pension Act is The Aborigines Protection Act and the create Maternity Allowance The Church of The Aborigines Protection introduced, providing social security for all is introduced in New South laws to remove Aboriginal people from their land and is introduced but England Girls’ Board in New South Wales is Australians except Aboriginal people. Wales, granting power to take separate families. does not include Home opens in given powers to take children The Bomaderry Aboriginal Children’s Home ‘neglected’ children from their Cootamundra Domestic Training Home for Aboriginal Aboriginal people. Carlingford, New from their families without opens near Nowra. families. Girls is established in a disused hospital building. South Wales. having to prove neglect.

1917 1918 1920 1923 1928 1930 1934 Yarra Bay House becomes the The Palm Island Bidura, an historic house in Sydney, Kinchela Training Home The , William Cooper petitions The Arnhem Land Reserve is site of a number of government- Mission is set up becomes a depot and receiving home for Aboriginal Boys Australia’s last documented the King to have an declared. run children’s homes from in Queensland. for children while they await foster opens near Kempsey in massacre, takes place in Aboriginal representative Sister Kate’s Children’s Cottage around 1917 to the mid 1980s. placements or transfers to other New South Wales. Central Australia. in Australian Parliament. Home is established in . establishments.

1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1947 1948 Day of Mourning The South The Aborigines Protection The Child Endowment Act Darwin is bombed Torres Strait Islanders All Australians, including convenes first ‘native held in Sydney to Australian Board in New South Wales is is passed but declares by the Japanese and are allowed to Aboriginal and Torres Strait welfare’ conference and mark the 150th Aborigines renamed Aborigines Welfare no endowment should many Aboriginal travel to mainland Islander people are given states adopt assimilation anniversary of Protection Board Board and loses power to be paid to dependent people are moved Australia to pursue ‘Australian citizenship’ for policies for Aboriginal people. colonisation. is established. remove Aboriginal children. Aboriginal people. to ‘control camps’. employment. the first time.

1949 1956 1961 1962 1965 1966 1967 The Commonwealth Large nuclear tests are carried The Allambie Reception The Commonwealth Electoral The Freedom Ride Around 200 Aboriginal More than 90% of Australians vote Electoral Act out at Maralinga – hundreds Centre opens in Burwood, as Act is amended to give the takes place in stockmen, led by Vincent yes in a referendum to give the is extended to of Aboriginal people are the Victorian Government’s vote to all Aboriginal and New South Wales, Lingiari, walk off in protest Australian Government the power Aboriginal forced to leave because of main reception centre Torres Strait Islander people protesting against of pay and conditions at to make laws for Aboriginal and ex-servicemen. radiation poisoning. for children. in Federal elections. racial discrimination. Wave Hill station. Torres Strait Islander people.

1969 1971 1972 1975 1980 1985 1988 The New South Wales Aboriginal The Tent Embassy The Australian Parliament passes The first Link-Up organisation is set is handed back to The Barunga Statement, calling Aborigines Welfare Board people are is pitched outside the Racial Discrimination Act to up in New South Wales, providing its traditional owners. for rights for Aboriginal and Torres is abolished. counted in the Parliament House help ensure all Australians are support for Yarra Bay House closes Strait Islander people, is presented All states repeal Aboriginal Census for the in . treated equally. members and their families. at Phillip Bay. to Prime Minister . child removal legislation. first time.

1991 1992 1993 1994 1996 1997 1998 The Royal Commission into The High Court hands down the Mabo decision. The United Nations The Going Home conference The first The report The first Aboriginal Deaths in Custody delivers historic Redfern Speech, declares 1993 the takes place in Darwin, bringing National is tabled in Australian Parliament. National presents its final report into the acknowledging the negative impact of International Year of together over 600 Aboriginal Reconciliation Six states and the Australian Sorry Day deaths of 99 Aboriginal people in European settlement. the World’s Indigenous people who were stolen from Week is held. Capital Territory issue formal is held. Australian jails. People. families as children. apologies to .

2001 2006 2007 2008 2009 2013 2017 2018 2019 Northern Territory Australia’s first Northern National Apology The Healing Foundation Aboriginal and Torres Commemorations 10th anniversary Launch of the Stolen Government Stolen Generations Territory to the Stolen is established. Strait Islander Peoples held for the 20th of the National Generations Resource Kit apologies compensation scheme intervention Generations Australia supports the UN Recognition Act 2013 anniversary of the Apology to for Teachers and Students to Stolen is established in in Aboriginal in Australian Declaration on the Rights passes in Australian Bringing Them the Stolen and 10th anniversary of Generations. Tasmania. communities. Parliament. of . Parliament. Home report. Generations. The Healing Foundation.

www.healingfoundation.org.au

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