Australians across the country gathered to commemorate the annual ‘Sorry Day’.

This year has special significance.

It’s 20 years since the “Bringing Them Home” report into the generations of Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander children stolen from their families.

Jesse Gentle reports.

TRANSCRIPT

They gathered in West End to reflect on the painful history of the Stolen Generations.

Orleigh Park had been the site of Cranbrook House, an Aboriginal girls’ hostel.

Sam Watson, Community Elder: “Every Aboriginal family in Australia had been deeply impacted during the era of the stolen generations.”

It’s estimated that between 10 to 33 per cent of all Indigenous children were separated from their families.

Despite the end of the forced removals in the early 70s, the continued separation of children from their families through child welfare and juvenile courts is a growing concern.

In a crisis dubbed “the second stolen generation”, Indigenous children are nearly 10 times more likely to be in out-of-home care than non-Indigenous.

Jackie Trad, Qld Deputy Premier: “This is a blight on us as a community.”

Author Rhonda Collard-Spratt was taken from her family in 1954.

She says the government still isn’t doing enough to help the Indigenous community.

Rhonda Collard-Spratt, Indigenous Author: “They’ve turned a blind eye and a deaf ear. Our voices go through one ear and out the other. That’s why we’re forerver protesting.”

Clearly still an issue causing pain.

Jesse Gentle, QUT News.