National Sorry Day, Shepparton 2017 – Shepparton Interfaith Network

National Sorry Day is an Australia-wide observance held on May 26 each year. This day gives people the chance to come together and share the steps towards healing for the Stolen Generations, their families and communities. Stolen Generations refer to Aboriginal Australians who were forcibly removed from their families and communities. A Sorry Day observance will be held at Monash Park Shepparton, on Friday May 26, 2017 commencing at 10:15am

Shepparton Region Reconciliation Group will conduct their Sorry Day Event on Friday 26 May 2017 at Monash Park.

There will be a flag raising ceremony, wreath laying and at the end of the ceremony there will be a commemorative walk to LaTrobe University.

The Greater Shepparton Sorry Day Commemoration event has been organised in partnership between the Shepparton Region Reconciliation Group, Rumbalara Aboriginal Co Operative, Greater Shepparton City Council, Yorta Yorta National Aboriginal Corporation and La Trobe University.

Bringing Them Home – the Stolen Generations

The first National Sorry Day was held on May 26, 1998, one year after the tabling of a report about the removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families. The report, known as Bringing Them Home, acknowledged that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children were forcibly separated from their families and communities since the early days of European occupation in Australia. Governments and missionaries were responsible for this forced separation.

Fifteen years ago, ‘SORRY’ was written in the sky above 500,000 Australians walking across the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Sorry Day is now commemorated nationally with thousands of Australians from all walks of life participating in gatherings to commemorate and remember all those who have been impacted by the government policies of forcible removal. It was these policies that resulted in the Stolen Generations