National Sorry Day
National Sorry Day is an annual event observed in Australia on May 26th. It is also known as the National Day of Healing, and it has been observed since 1998. The event is designed to remember the mistreatment of Australia’s Indigenous peoples as part of the ongoing reconciliation between them and the settler population.
Australia (Observance)The date for this holiday was chosen because May 26th is when the Bringing Them Home report was published in 1997. This report was produced from an inquiry into government practices and policies during the 20th century that resulted in Aboriginal children being separated from their natural families, in what has now become known as the Stolen Generations.
The History of National Sorry Day
This holiday cannot be discussed without first mentioning the Bringing Them Home Report. This report was a national inquiry into the separation of Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal children from their natural families to place them with white families.
These traumatic removals became known as the Stolen Generations. The Bringing Them Home Report recommended several ways to rectify these past transgressions. One way was for the Prime Minister to apologize to the Stolen Generations, but Prime Minister John Howard refused to do so.
On May 25, 1998, the first National Sorry Day event was held. In 2008, the name of this holiday was changed to National Day of Healing.
Interesting Facts About Australia
Below are some interesting facts that we’ve uncovered about Australia. Australia is the largest country in Oceania and the world’s sixth-largest country. It is also one of the most fascinating countries in the world, as we’ll now illustrate with the following facts:
- Australia has approximately 12,000 beaches. That means you could visit a different beach every day for 27 years straight and still not see them all.
- Australia is the only continent in the world that does not have an active volcano.
- An Australian man once tried to sell New Zealand on eBay—needless to say, it didn’t work.
- Canberra was selected as Australia’s capital because the cities of Melbourne and Sydney couldn’t stop arguing over which should be the capital city.
- Australia produces over 1.35 trillion bottles of wine every year.
- About 90% of Australians live on the coast due to the large deserts in Central Australia.
- The island of Tasmania has the cleanest air in the world.
Observing National Sorry Day
On this day, the Torres Strait Islander and the Aboriginal flags are usually flown. It is also a day on which people can educate themselves about the Stolen Generations and consider the contributions that Indigenous peoples have made to Australia. This is also a good day for every Australian to think about reconciliation and how it can be the road to healing.
Australia (Observance)
