'Sorry Day' books

This record comprises 26 books signed by the South Australian community: most are general books without any particular source, but others come from Gawler, the Adelaide City Council, Reconciliation through Education, Mercedes College, the Anti-poverty Conference, Torrens Valley Institute of TAFE, St Thomas School and Pre-school, the Uniting Churches from Victor Harbor, Blackwood Hills Parish Uniting Church and Community Aid Abroad.

National Sorry Day commemorations were held around Australia on 26 May 1998 as part of community support for the reconciliation process and specifically in response to the Federal Government Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission's 'Bringing them home' report. This report detailed the removal of children from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island families and the devastating effects of this policy on their communities.

The report recommended that an annual Sorry Day be held to recognise the grief and loss that Indigenous Australians have suffereddue to these actions, and look towards a new understanding between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.Signatures and messages from South Australians were recorded in these 'sorry books'.

In 2005 a National Day of Healing for all Australians will be launched on 26 May, to be followed by National Reconciliation Week 27 May-3 June, with the theme 'Reconciliation: take the next step'.

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