'Killing me inside': The legacy of government policies and stolen kids
Aunty Bronwyn Smith, a Stolen Generations survivor, shares her traumatic experience of being forcibly removed from her family as a child. She highlights the ongoing impact of government policies that led to the removal of thousands of Indigenous children in Australia. As Sorry Day approaches, survivors are urging governments to acknowledge this painful history and take action.
- ▪Bronwyn Smith was taken from her family at the age of nine and placed in an Aboriginal girls' dormitory in Queensland.
- ▪The Bringing Them Home inquiry revealed that up to one third of Indigenous children were forcibly removed from their families between 1910 and 1970.
- ▪Survivors like Smith express the lasting trauma and impact on their relationships due to these government policies.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Stolen Generations survivor urges governments to act in the lead-up to Sorry DayBy the Indigenous Affairs Team's Tahnee JashTopic:Indigenous AustraliansMon 25 May 2026 at 6:49amMon 25 May 2026 at 6:49amMon 25 May 2026 at 6:49amBronwyn Smith with her grandparents and siblings, a year before she was forced into the girls' home. (Supplied)abc.net.au/news/stolen-generations-urge-governments-to-act-ahead-of-sorry-day/106715488Link copiedShareShare articleWarning: This story contains images of First Nations people who have died.Standing in the principal's office at her local primary school, Bronwyn Smith knew she was about to receive some bad news.A grade 3 student at the time, she was surrounded by a group of police sergeants, the principal and the manager of the Aboriginal girls' dormitory in…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at ABC News (Australia).