Stolen Generations

John Sara

The Stolen Generation is the broad term used to describe Aboriginal Children and Adolescents who were forcibly removed from their Families, Culture and Traditional Lands by the department of native affairs because of their Race. There is not an Aboriginal Family in Australia that hasn’t been affected by this government policy. Despite the fact that these Children and Adolescents were loved and cared for by their families they were removed by government officers and were taken to Government Institutions where they were alienated from their Families, banned from speaking their Language and practicing their Culture, often their names were changed. This was an attempt by authorities to steal their Aboriginality and Identity. In 1909 as quoted by Colin Taz in the Age, the chief prosecutor of Aborigines C.F. Gale wrote “I would not hesitate for one moment to separate any half-caste from their Aboriginal Mother, no matter how frantic her momentary grief might be at the time they soon forget their offspring”. As anyone who has parented a Child knows this view was untrue and misguided and understand the pain and heartbreak associated with the removal of a Child from their Family. A.O. Neville the chief protector of Aborigines between 1915 and 1930 in Western Australia was responsible for the removal of thousands of Aboriginal Children with the foolish idea of “breeding out the colour”, to Aboriginal People he was known as “Neville the Devil”.

This painting tells the story of the Stolen Generation. The stars and the sky couldn’t be taken away, so Song Lines, Culture and Language were passed down to younger children using stories in and about the sky. The spirit figures in the stars represents identity. The dot formation represents the missions and institutions children were removed to and the dot tracks represents members of the Stolen Generation finding and reuniting with their Families.

Aboriginal People were not recognised as citizens of their own country until 1967 and were not included in the Census until 1971. In 1989 a national Indigenous survey revealed 47% of Aboriginal People were still in the process of tracing and or being reunited with their Family and Kinship ties.