Listen. Learn. Respect.
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'Grief, suffering and loss'
Australia is home to the oldest continuing civilisations on earth. But after Europeans arrived in the 1700s, these First Nations were subjected to harmful and discriminatory laws, policies and practices.
In our more recent history, these included the Stolen Generations — thousands of children who were unjustly removed from their families up to the 1970s.
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'We say sorry'
In February 2008, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd delivered a National Apology on behalf of the Australian Parliament to Indigenous Australians for past injustices.
Many predicted the Apology would divide Australians. Instead, it brought them together with new resolve to address past wrongs and ‘close the gap’ between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.
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'Closing the gap'
The National Apology Foundation was announced in 2014 to perpetuate the spirit and the substance of the National Apology to Indigenous Australians.
Our work shines a spotlight on Australia’s multi-generational mission to ‘close the gap’. We tell the truth about our nation’s past, conscious that it provides the best foundation for an optimistic future for all Australians.
Our Podcast: ‘Listen, Learn, Respect’
Jessica Rudd speaks with Indigenous Australians at the coalface of closing the gap in life outcomes. We hear their perspectives on what’s working, what isn’t, and what we can do differently.
Resources for Schools and Workplaces
How can students, teachers and colleagues renew the message of the National Apology? The National Apology Foundation can send printed replicas of the Apology and provide some ideas for events.