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Paying respects on Sorry Day

Kayla Kennedy-Hills, Sandra Nielson and Uncle John Gorrie PSM at Ramahyuck’s Nation Sorry Day event. Tom Parry

NATIONAL Sorry Day 2022 was observed last week with a moving event at Ramahyuck’s Noel Yarram (Snr) Centre. Held annually on May 26, the day acknowledges the strength and resilience of Stolen Generations survivors, who were forcibly removed from their families as children. For Ramahyuck chairperson Sandra Nielson, the occasion brings with it strong emotions. “I had a sister taken away as a two-year-old from her mother, and there was no reconnection until she was 18 years old,” Ms Nielson said. “It affected her, and it affected her kids, and it’s affected the grandkids.” While Sorry Day can be one of grief for many First Nations people, Ms Nielson acknowledged that it can also be a time for healing. “It also gets other people understanding what the Stolen Generation was about, because they only hear those words – they don’t understand what it is,” Ms Nielson said. “(Sorry Day) is our day of talking to people and letting them know what (those words) really meant, and what it really meant to the Aboriginal people.” The Ramahyuck event began at 11am with a minute’s silence, followed by brief speeches from Ms Nielson, Kayla Kennedy-Hills and Uncle John Gorrie PSM, himself a survivor of the Stolen Generation. Tears welled as Mr Gorrie discussed being separated from his mother, highlighting the trauma that survivors continue to carry with them several decades after their forced removal. Afterwards, attendees were encouraged to inscribe their name, artwork and messages of support into a picnic table. “It’ll have Sorry Day written on it, and then lacquered of course, just to remind everyone that there’s a place to come and sit at that table,” Ms Nielson explained. “But when anyone does sit there, it’s reminding them of the Sorry Day, so the message (of the day) is out there the whole time.” National Sorry Day marks the beginning of National Reconciliation Week, and coincides with the anniversary of the 1967 federal referendum, which saw Australians vote overwhelmingly to

Flight Lieutenant Aimee McCartney signs the Sorry Day table.

Photos: Tom Parry

reject discrimination of Indigenous peoples in the constitution. In recent times, the day has also acknowledged the National Apology to the Stolen Generations, delivered by Kevin Rudd in 2008. Ms Nielson said that Mr Rudd’s apology “brought it home to everybody that someone is finally listening.” “Everyone is grateful for Kevin Rudd – we don’t know if a lot has changed over the time since he said (the apology), but for the Aboriginal people it is really powerful,” she said. Her sentiments were echoed by Mr Gorrie, who described Mr Rudd as his hero – “I think he’s been a hero to many Stolen Generation people.” Both Ms Nielson and Mr Gorrie expressed a desire to see greater public recognition for Sorry Day, with the latter suggesting a flyover by the RAAF Roulettes at future events. This was received enthusiastically by the RAAF East Sale members in attendance – including Group Captain Nigel Ward – who committed their full approval to the suggestion. Reconciliation Week officially concludes this Friday, June 3.

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Nationals leader Peter Walsh, pictured here with Gippsland Circular Economy chief executive officer Scott McArdle, during a visit to Gippsland last year, has reaffirmed the Victorian party’s position for net zero emissions by 2050. Photo: File Walsh commits Nats to a net zero policy

VICTORIAN Nationals leader Peter Walsh on Tuesday reaffirmed the Party’s position supporting the target of achieving net zero emissions by 2050. The confirmation came a day after the federal leader of The Nationals, Barnaby Joyce, signalled the party may drop their commitment to net zero. Queensland senator Matt Canavan called net zero a “failed agenda”. Reflecting after the Coalition’s election loss, Federal Member for Gippsland Darren Chester disagreed with Senator Canavan’s view. “It was simple and devastatingly effective to say a voter for those moderate Liberals was a vote for ‘dinosaurs’ in the Nationals who didn’t believe in climate change,” he said. Mr Walsh said in a media release that regional Victorians expect their representatives to drive a policy agenda that actively tackles climate change, for a sustainable future for regional communities and our world-leading food and fibre sector. “We believe that continuing to take action now will secure a more prosperous, productive and profitable future for our farmers and those businesses along the supply chain that rely on a thriving agriculture sector to survive,” he said. “Scientists have long warned that climate change is already pushing us down a path of more extreme weather events where we have more intense rainfall and longer periods of drought. “The Victorian Nationals do not support any watering down of our nation’s climate change targets and remain committed to implementing measures to achieve net zero by 2050. “Despite its big claims on climate action, the Andrews Labor government has axed more than 100 jobs at AgVic, including scientists working in soil sciences, genomics and plant sciences, and animal production. “While regional Victorians continue to call for more action on climate change, we should be accelerating our efforts in research and development. This is exactly the wrong time for the Labor government to be cutting our capacity to carry out crucial research on more advanced farming practices and new sustainable technologies.”