What happend to the Stolen Generation?

The Stolen Generation, also known as The Stolen Children, was children of Australian Aboriginals, who were removed from their families and culture. They were removed by the Australian federal, the state government and the churches. The government thought it would be better for the aborginial children to grow up with white people. 

Often it was children under five years of age, who was taken away. Removing children from their families was official government policy in Australia until 1969. The mothers of the children were often given documents to sign. They could not read or write, so they were told that it was a kind of vaccination program for younger children. Some children were taken to hospitals and never seen by their families again. Others were placed in institutions and later being placed with white families. The majority were put into a special orphanage, where white people had to teach them, how to be Christian and behave like white people.
More than 100.000 children were removed from their families, and because of that, the generation of children who were taken from their families became known as the Stolen Generation

In some cases rich white families were given money to raise the children, and then they forced the children to become like the white ones, they e.g had to go to church etc. 


Long term impacts
There are many different long term impacts from what they went through. There are many Aboriginals who end up with trauma and alcohol problems.  Most of the Aboriginal are left behind with angriness, grief and questions “how could the policies of forcible removal ever have been justified in light of the trauma and loss they caused”.

There is giving economical support and assistance, from the Australian government, to the Aboriginal who are looking for their families.


Bill Simons
Bill Simons had a really rought life.
"I was all very, very mixed up in my heart, I didn’t trusty anybody.  I got locked up when I was 18 years of age and sent out the Long Bay Jail.  It was very hard and rough out there as well but it was just like the boys’ home so it really didn’t worry me because I felt like that I was home again, at the jail you see.  The same thing happens as in the boy’s home, we were given numbers and have a guess what the number they gave me when I first went to Long Bay jail when I was 18.  Have a guess.  The same, 33, as in the boy's home".

This is a topic that is very sensitive.

"You know, I felt so bad against people, I told you I didn’t trust anybody because I didn’t know anybody who could turn around and could show us any love like a Mother’s love or a Father’s love, you know, we missed out on all that.  We weren’t allowed to speak of any Aboriginal culture, language because I didn’t know it because I was taken away at an early age.  And so I really lost just about everything.  You know, I lost my family, I lost everything" - Bill Simon

Bill Simon was taken away from his family as child. The police were sitting with spy glasses watching Bill Simon and his familyes house. As soon as Bill Simons dad went to work, the police knocked on their door real loudly and then they sort of pushed their way in. 

Bill Simon and his brothers were taken. They screamed out real loud to their mum to come and help, but she just turned around and walked inside. Bill Simon was rejected by his own mum, by his own people. 

There was no one to help Billy Simon and his brothers. That was the last time he saw his dad, because he died. Billy didn't saw his mother until he was in his late 20s going to early 30s.