Sorry Day

The first National Sorry Day was held in 1998 - one year after the tabling of the Bringing them Home report which was the result of an inquiry into the removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families. One of the recommendations of the report was that a National Sorry Day should be declared. The first Sorry Day saw a people sign Sorry Books apologising for past injustices to the Indigenous community. For the first time, many of the Stolen Generation felt that people understood and were acknowledging their pain. You can view the apologies at Apology Australia.

Sorry Day is held annually on May 26th, and offers the community the opportunity to participate and be involved in activities to acknowledge the impact of the policies of forcible removal on Australia's Indigenous populations. A huge range of activities take place across Australia. To find out what’s happening on Sorry Day this year, visit the Journey of Healing website.