National Apology Anniversary – The Story of Aunty Julie Black

February 13 each year marks the anniversary of the National Apology to the Stolen Generations, a speech delivered by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd. This apology is for those who suffered trauma due to government policies of forced child removal.

Child removals were an attempt to assimilate and colonise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities; it forced a breakdown of community bonds that enabled Indigenous people to thrive.

Our role at FAC is not to speak on behalf of Stolen Generations survivors, including their families. Our role is to promote truth-telling, to advocate and amplify the right voices in this discussion. Truth-telling enables our past stories to be known, understood, respected and hopefully, not repeated.

Storytelling is at the heart of our Indigenous communities. In our cultures, everything is taught in stories. By sharing those survivors’ stories, we hope that our community and our country can move to a story of healing.

In the spirit of this anniversary, we want to share the story of Aunty Julie Black – a Barkindji woman and survivor of the Stolen Generations.

WARNING: Please be aware the following stories and images may cause sadness or distress for some viewers. The Stories are personal accounts of Stolen Generations survivors who were removed from their homes, families and communities. For some people, these stories may be overwhelming. The following may contain images or voices of deceased persons.