Hawkesbury District Health Service acknowledge National Apology Day 2020

13 Feb 2020

The apology acknowledged Australia's wrongdoing in what is referred to as the 'Stolen Generations'. The Stolen Generations affected tens of thousands of people with repercussions and disadvantages still being felt today.

The Australian Government and the Catholic Church (which offered their own apology in 1998) were two of the main organisations that accepted culpability for the Stolen Generations.

National Apology Day is commemorated annually on the 13th of February and is considered to be a defining moment in Australian history. It is separate to National Sorry Day even though the two are often confused. It is a significant day not just for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples but for ALL Australians.

National Apology Day is a day when we can remember and reflect on the sad and painful history of the Stolen Generations and the mistreatment of Australia's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, caused by policies enacted in the name of Australia. It is a day when we can join together regardless of whether we feel 'personally responsible', or it happened 'before our time'.

More importantly, it is a day when we can recognise moments of resilience, healing and the power of saying sorry. It is a day when we can all stand together, in strength and unity, and look towards a bright and hopeful future for ALL.