The term “Stolen Generations” usually refers to the period from around 1910 to the 1970s in Australia, when many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children were forcibly removed from their families under government and church policies.

When Was the Stolen Generation? (Quick Scoop)

Core Timeline

  • Most historians place the Stolen Generations roughly from the 1910s through to the late 1960s/early 1970s.
  • In practice, some removals began earlier (late 1800s–early 1900s) and continued in some areas into the 1970s.
  • A commonly quoted short answer is: “about 1910 to the 1970s.”

Key reference years

  • 1860s–early 1900s: Early laws in places like Victoria and Queensland gave authorities power to remove Aboriginal children.
  • 1910s–1960s: Main period identified as the Stolen Generations, with systematic removals and assimilation policies.
  • 1970s: Policies and practices of large‑scale forced removals largely phased out, though their impacts are ongoing.

Why This Period Matters

During these decades:

  • Governments, churches, and welfare agencies removed thousands of First Nations children, often without consent, to missions, institutions, or non‑Indigenous foster/adoptive homes.
  • The stated goal was “assimilation,” but the effect was the attempted destruction of culture, language, family and identity —often described today as a form of cultural genocide.
  • Many children never saw their families again and suffered severe emotional, physical, and sometimes sexual abuse.

In many families, multiple generations were affected: grandparents, parents, and children all experienced removal or its intergenerational trauma.

Later Recognition and Apologies

  • 1997 – “Bringing Them Home” report documented the history and impacts of the Stolen Generations and pushed the issue into national focus.
  • 1999 – Federal Parliament expressed “deep and sincere regret” over past removals.
  • 2008 – National Apology: Prime Minister Kevin Rudd delivered a formal apology to the Stolen Generations and their families in the Australian Parliament.
  • Various compensation schemes and healing/support services have been created in later years, though survivors and communities still campaign for fuller justice and recognition.

Quick FAQ Style Recap

  • Q: When was the Stolen Generation?
    A: Commonly given as about 1910 to the 1970s , though some removals occurred earlier and some continued later in certain places.
  • Q: Where did it happen?
    A: Across Australia , under state, territory, and federal authorities, often in partnership with churches and welfare bodies.
  • Q: Is it still happening today?
    A: The specific assimilation policy era is over, but over‑representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in out‑of‑home care today is often discussed as a “continuing stolen generation” in public debate and advocacy.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.