2001

1. The Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission & PIAC (Public Interest Advocacy Centre) hold the Moving Forward Conference. The conference aims to explore ways of providing reparations to Indigenous people forcibly removed from their families.
   

   For 18 years the State of Victoria referred to me as State Ward No 54321.

   — Paul, personal story in the Bringing Them Home Report

2. 20 March Arts Stamps

   

   As part of its Rock Australia issue, Australia Post issues a stamp commemorating the 10th anniversary of Yothu Yindi’s song ‘Treaty’.

3. July Stolen Generations

   The British Concise Oxford Dictionary includes the phrase 'stolen generation' in its latest edition. The term is defined as: "Noun. Australian. The aboriginal people forcibly removed from their families as children between the 1900s and the 1960s, to be brought up by white foster families or in institutions."

4. 18 August Politics

   Jack Ah Kit, a Jawoyn man from Alice Springs, becomes the first Aboriginal government minister of the Northern Territory when the Australian Labor Party wins office. His portfolios include local government, housing and sport. He resigned in 2005 for health reasons.
   

5. November Stolen Generations

   Pope John Paul II issues a formal apology on behalf of the Vatican to the affected Aboriginal families for the actions of any and all Catholic authorities or organisations in connection with the Stolen Generations.

2002

1. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner, Dr William Jonas, presents the Social Justice Report 2001 and Native Title Report 2001 to the federal parliament. In the report he questions: What happened to reconciliation? Both reports express serious concerns about the nation’s progress in recognising Aboriginal rights.

2. The Senate Legal and Constitutional References Committee commences an inquiry into the Progress Towards National Reconciliation and is due to report by September 2003.

3. Kathryn Hay (Australian Labor Party) is elected to the Tasmanian House of Assembly, representing the electorate of Bass.

4. The first member of the Stolen Generations is awarded compensation in the NSW Victims Compensation Tribunal for the sexual assault and injuries she suffered after authorities removed her from her family.

5. The Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) releases Restoring Identity - the follow-up report to the Moving Forward Conference. The report presents a proposal for a reparations tribunal.

6. Marion Scrymgour (Australian Labor Party) in the Northern Territory Assembly becomes the first Aboriginal female minister in any government in the history of Australia.

7. The Sorry Day Committee releases the Parliamentary Seminar Report: Are We Bringing Them Home? The Report surveys the progress in the implementation of the Bringing them home recommendations.

8. National Library of Australia publishes an Oral History Project, Many Voices: Reflections on Experience of Indigenous Child Separation.

9. The first member of the Stolen Generations is awarded compensation in the NSW Victims Compensation Tribunal for the sexual assault and injuries she suffered after authorities removed her from her family. Valerie Linow was 16 when she was working as a domestic servant for a family and suffering sexual assault and violence. Mrs Linow was awarded $35,000 in compensation. She said "It's not the money that's important to me. It is the knowledge and recognition that this happened to Aboriginal people. No one could pay any amount for what happened to us because we lost a lot."
   

   I'm the only one out of thousands of members of the stolen generations who got through and was believed that these things did happen. This is the most important thing - the believing.

   — Valerie Linow, member of the Stolen Generations The Age, 18/10/2002

10. As part of the Victorian Government's response to the Bringing Them Home Report, Victoria establishes a Stolen Generations taskforce.

11. 9 May Stolen wages

    The Queensland government launches the Indigenous Wages and Savings Reparations offer. It is capped at $55.6 million and designed to be distributed to living former workers, but not families of deceased workers.

12. 1 July Politics

    Australia joins the International Criminal Court which means that genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity are now offences under Australian law. Before that they were not.

    Believe it or not, [before 2002] genocide was not an offence under Australian criminal law.

    — Julian Burnside, Melbourne lawyer ^[1]

13. 2 July Arts Stamps

    Australia Post celebrates a centenary since the birth of Aboriginal artist Albert Namatjira on 28 July, 1902. He was the first Aboriginal artist to exhibit his work professionally and paint in a Western style.

    

2003

1. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner publicly criticises the failure of governments to provide financial and social reparations for members of the Stolen Generation, a national apology, or the appropriate mechanisms for individuals that were forcibly removed to reconnect with their culture.

2. The Edinburgh Museum, Scotland returns remains that were dug up from burial grounds in South Australia.

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References