'Bringing Them Home' report

The landmark ‘Bringing them Home’ report traced the history and consequences of removal for the Stolen Generations

‘Bringing them Home’ was the name of the final report of the National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from Their Families. The National Inquiry was conducted by the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (now called the Australian Human Rights Commission). More than 500 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people shared their stories with the National Inquiry. As ‘Bringing them Home’ acknowledges:

This report is a tribute to the strength and struggles of many thousands of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people affected by forcible removal. We acknowledge the hardships they endured and the sacrifice they made. We remember and lament all the children who will never come home.

We dedicate this report with thanks and admiration to those who found the strength to tell their stories to the Inquiry and to the generations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people separated from their families and communities.

‘Bringing Them Home’ made 54 recommendations to support healing and reconciliation. Key recommendations spoke to the need for ‘reparation’ to recognise ‘the history of gross violations of human rights’. As the ‘Bringing Them Home’ educational project says:

Many of the report’s recommendations have not yet been implemented, members of the Stolen Generations and their families continue to be affected by the trauma caused by forced removal and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are still removed from their families at a very high rate.

Knowmore is separate from government and does not decide who is eligible for redress. Read more about redress options for Stolen Generations survivors.

Read more about ‘Bringing Them Home’ on the educational project website.