Christians back formal apology to Indigenous Australians

The Uniting Church in Australia and the Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress (UAICC) have thrown their support behind a formally apology to Indigenous Australians from the Australian Government.

The apology relates particularly the forced removal of Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander children from their families by the Australian Government and church mission groups from 1869 until the policy's official abolition in 1969. The children were removed to orphanages and other state institutions and came to be known as the Stolen Generations.

The President of the Uniting Church, the Rev Gregor Henderson, said the government's apology to Indigenous Australians would herald a new sense of renewal for the nation.

"The Government's apology to the Stolen Generations marks the beginning of a sense of renewal and we hope it will be backed up with practical measures for better outcomes for Indigenous Australians," he said.

The Rev Shayne Blackman, National Administrator of the UAICC, said the Congress welcomed the apology but echoed the sentiments of Henderson, adding that true repentance would require the government to take further steps to improve the livelihoods of the Indigenous population.

"However, we believe that true repentance involves both an apology and a change of attitude and we hope the government takes further action to clearly demonstrate its commitment to the apology, such as tailored Indigenous programmes and opportunities for socio-economic equality," he said.

The formal apology is scheduled to take place in the first sitting of the House of Representatives when it convenes next week.