Aboriginal Territorians have today come together to mark 25 years since the landmark Going Home Conference was held in Darwin.

The 1994 conference was the first to discuss, at a national level, strategies to assist with the process of healing for the Stolen Generations - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders whose families had been forcibly separated by government authorities.

The outcomes of this conference were crucial to the Federal Government’s decision to undertaken the historic National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from their Families, which resulted in the 1997 Bringing Them Home Report.

The report ultimately led to then Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s historic apology to the Stolen Generations in 2008.

The Northern Territory Stolen Generations Aboriginal Corporation, its members and invited guests will today come together to pay tribute to the resilience and courage of those Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples whose lives have been impacted by the forced removal of children from their families.

Quotes attributable to Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Selena Uibo.

“Today is a day to pay tribute to the courageous Aboriginal Territorians who stood up 25 years ago to right the injustices of the past.

“The Going Home Conference in Darwin was a pivotal moment in the healing process for many members of the Stolen Generations.

“It was the first time the awful stories of the forced removal of children from their families were told by those who lived it and acknowledged at a national level.

“This conference began the process that culminated in the national apology from the Federal Government, a monumental moment in Australian history that was so important in the healing process for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

“It may never have happened without the vision and commitment of this group of brave Territorians.”

Media contact: Kim Stephens 0417 683 144