By Tanya Steele
With Monday 13 February marking 15 years since the National Apology by Kevin Rudd to Australia’s Indigenous peoples, Yarra Ranges Council reflected on the shire being one of the first local governments to offer an apology to the Stolen Generations in 1997.
Yarra Ranges Mayor Jim Child expressed pride on behalf of the shire about the early milestone and also acknowledged the work ahead for reconciliation.
“Sorry Day is an important day in the national calendar – an incredibly significant marker, of the Federal Government apologising for the injustices inflicted on Aboriginal people during Australia’s colonial history,” he said.
“I’m proud that we at Yarra Ranges were one of the first government bodies to offer an apology to the Stolen Generations in 1997.
“We worked with our community at the time to word the official apology, with the understanding that past injustices need to be acknowledged if we are going to work towards Reconciliation.”
The original apology provided by the council was worded as follows:
Yarra Ranges Council recognises the past injustices and treatment of Aboriginal Peoples.
If we are to proceed in an openhearted and responsible way to address the issues which will come before us in the future we first need to acknowledge the past. Council recognises the need to confront the policies and practices which caused the forced removal and separation of Aboriginal children from their parents and families, the effects of which continue today.
Accordingly, we wish to express our deep sorrow and sincerely apologise for the pain, the grief and the suffering experienced by Aboriginal peoples as a result of past laws, government policy and actions.
The national apology from Mr Rudd came a decade after National Sorry Day began on 26 May 1998 during Reconciliation Week.
Andrew Peters, son of late Healesville elder Aunty Dot Peters said Sorry Day is about acknowledgement and development.
“Recognition of Sorry Day for me isn’t about finding someone to blame for the many past injustices, but about honestly acknowledging that they happened, developing an understanding of why they happened, and making changes to our national identity and education to ensure they don’t happen again,” he said.
“It’s the oldest living culture in the world, and it should be celebrated as a source of immense national pride.”
Dr Peters said reconciliation is a healing process and awareness on these anniversaries is an opportunity for discussion and education amongst the community.
“The work of local Aboriginal people over the years has created a great opportunity for us to really educate about reconciliation and find the enormous value of Aboriginal culture and history to us all – we’re very lucky to have such a strong connection in the Yarra Ranges through the work of so many wonderful Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people, and have a unique opportunity to be a leader in the reconciliation space,” he said.
