so glad we're sorry

What a momentous day in Australia's history, the day had finally come when our federal government said sorry to the stolen generations.

This morning I, along with many others, attended an informal breakfast at the Lilydale campus of Swinburne to witness Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's apology to the indigenous people of the stolen generations.

It was a very moving event, with many tears shed; tears of heartbreak, tears of sorrow and then tears of joy. There was a sense of a new beginning for all who were there. After Kevin Rudd's speech everyone in the room stood and applauded, long and loud.

There is no doubt this day will become a milestone moment in our history. For me it seemed that the healing of a gaping wound in our history had begun.

It is time to take a new direction, to move on from the hurt and start the healing.