This keynote examines the policies, practices, and institutional cultures within government, church-run and church-affiliated systems that facilitated the removal of Aboriginal children from their families in Australia until 1975. Situating these removals within broader colonial governance structures, the presentation explores how religious institutions operated alongside state authorities to sustain a regime that separated children from kin, Country, and culture. The address also considers the enduring intergenerational impacts of these removals, linking historical policies of separation to the ongoing social, economic, and health disparities experienced by members of the Stolen Generations and their families today.
Weaving together personal lived experience and scholarly research, the keynote reflects the perspective of an Eastern Arrernte woman and member of the Stolen Generations who brings both community knowledge and historical analysis to the discussion. Through this dual lens, the presentation highlights how archival records, institutional histories, and lived testimony together illuminate the long-term consequences of child removal policies.
Particular attention will be given to the social and emotional wellbeing of Stolen Generations individuals as they age. The keynote will explore how unresolved trauma, loss of identity and kinship, and barriers to reconnection continue to shape the experiences of older survivors. By foregrounding the voices and realities of those directly affected, the presentation calls for renewed recognition of the ongoing responsibilities of governments, churches, service providers and communities in supporting healing, truth-telling, and justice.
