Anniversary of Tasmania’s Stolen Generations Redress Legislation

18 December

On 18 December 2006, Tasmania’s Stolen Generations of Aboriginal Children Act received royal assent. The legislation established a framework for ex gratia payments to eligible members of the Stolen Generations and their children. Tasmania became the first Australian state or territory to legislate for such payments.

This anniversary marks royal assent to the legislation. It is not the date on which every payment was made, nor should it be described as the opening of a current application process.

Acknowledgement and redress

The Act responded to the removal of Aboriginal children from their families and communities. It provided eligibility criteria, an assessment process and a mechanism for payments. The legal text is important for understanding what the scheme covered, while survivors’ accounts are essential for understanding experiences that legislation alone cannot convey.

The Australian Human Rights Commission’s historical material places the Tasmanian scheme within the wider history of forced removal and the campaign for recognition and compensation. It also preserves a survivor’s account of attending the announcement of the draft legislation, recognising Aboriginal advocacy behind the reform.

Why the anniversary matters

Redress acknowledges that governments have responsibilities for the consequences of their policies. Financial recognition can be an important response, but it cannot restore lost childhoods or undo the effects of separation from family, community, culture and Country.

It is useful to distinguish an apology, a payment scheme and the broader work of healing and accountability. They are connected, but they are not interchangeable. Marking this legislation should not suggest that every survivor’s experience was addressed, that all people affected were eligible, or that the work was completed in 2006.

Reflecting respectfully

For schools and workplaces, a careful approach is to learn about the history and listen to survivor-led perspectives without expecting anyone to disclose their own family experience. Give people a choice about participation and avoid activities that reenact removal. Consider what acknowledgement means in present-day relationships, services and decisions affecting Aboriginal families.

Sources and further learning

Stolen Generations of Aboriginal Children Act 2006 provides the assent date and the statutory framework.

Tasmanian Government: Aboriginal legislation explains the scheme’s national significance.

Australian Human Rights Commission: Track the History places the reform within the wider Stolen Generations history.

Our related products and resources

Stolen Girl is a fictionalised story of a girl removed from her family. It can support age-appropriate discussion with care and preparation; it is not a history of Tasmania’s redress legislation. Allow readers a choice about engaging with this potentially distressing subject.