National Sorry Day

Published on 26 May 2023

On Friday 26 May is National Sorry Day, a time to remember the past policies of forced child removal and reflect on the sad and painful stories of the Stolen Generations.

This year's commemoration service for National Sorry Day, hosted by the Kinchela Boys Home Aboriginal Corporation at Kempsey Railway Station, has been postponed due to Sorry Business. We will announce a new date in the future.

Understanding the historical role of Kempsey Railway Station in the context of the Stolen Generations is crucial. This station served as the arrival point for Aboriginal boys who were later taken to Kinchela Boys Home. It was also where Aboriginal girls and boys from the Macleay Valley were brought before being transported to institutions across the state via trains. Tragically, many of these children never had the chance to reunite with their families and were forcibly disconnected from their cultural roots.

We acknowledge the Stolen Generations and the intergenerational trauma this injustice presents for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families, communities and peoples. We can all play a part in healing.

National Sorry Day is commemorated each year on 26 May, the day the Bringing them Home report was tabled in 1997 to Federal Parliament.