The Stolen Generations are not just part of our history.
The impacts of forced removal continue to affect the lives of survivors, families and the Queensland we all share.
Genuinely addressing these continuing impacts is not only a matter of justice. It's part of building a healthier, safer and stronger Queensland for everyone.
This website is an initiative of Link-Up (Qld), created to help Queenslanders understand why supporting Stolen Generations survivors and descendants matters to us all.
Still Bringing Them Home Podcast
The Still Bringing Them Home Podcast brings together descendants, community leaders and well-known Australians for honest conversations about identity, family, resilience and healing.
Across three episodes, our guests share personal reflections on what it means to know who you are, where you come from, and why understanding the legacy of the Stolen Generations remains important for all Australians.
Episode 1
Guests:
Episode 2
Coming soon
Episode 3
Coming soon
''After learning that I had been removed from my Indigenous mother, I felt caught between two identities and completely lost.''
Morgan Mercer
Stolen Generations Survivor
"'My family is my main priority in life, they are my next line of generation.
Still today, we have many questions about who we are and where we come from.''
Marim Brown
Stolen Generations Descendant
''We've always had that longing to know who we really were, and to be able to tell our own story.''
Sam Songoa
Stolen Generations Descendant
''It has taken me decades to discover and embrace my identity, but it's never too late for family.''
Angelique Wittwer
Stolen Generations Survivor
Need support?
The stories and information shared on this website may bring up difficult feelings. For 24/7 crisis support, contact 13 YARN or Lifeline.
For information about Link-Up (Qld)’s services for Stolen Generations survivors and descendants, visit our main website.
Who are the Stolen Generations?
From the late 1800s and throughout much of the 1900s, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children were forcibly removed from their families and communities by governments, churches and welfare organisations.
Around 20% of all removals occurred in Queensland.
These removals formed part of deliberate assimilation policies intended to absorb Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children into non-Indigenous society and sever their connections to family, community, culture, language and Country. Those removed under these policies became known as the Stolen Generations.
Why ""Still Bringing Them Home""?
In 1997, the landmark Bringing Them Home report documented the experiences of survivors and the widespread, lasting harms caused by forced removal. It made 54 main recommendations to advance truth, healing, family reunion and reparations.
Almost 30 years later, only five recommendations have been clearly implemented.
The latest available national estimate found that 33,600 Stolen Generations survivors were living across Australia in 2018–19. Many survivors have waited decades for recognition, healing and justice. Queensland remains the only Australian jurisdiction yet to establish a dedicated Stolen Generations redress scheme.
The ripple effects continue
The effects of forced removal did not end with the children who were taken. The loss of family, culture and identity has affected parenting, wellbeing and the passing of knowledge from one generation to the next.
This intergenerational trauma creates ripple effects across families and communities, contributing to ongoing disadvantage with consequences felt throughout Queensland.
Supporting healing through family and cultural reconnection can help break the cycle, strengthen families and build a healthier, safer and stronger Queensland.