Watch the Stolen Generations Records Forum

June 23, 2023 - 8:28am

Hosted by OIC in June 2023, the Stolen Generations Records Forum featured several guest speakers discussing the important role of historical records in truth telling, as well as applying the Healing Foundation’s Principles for a nationally consistent approach to accessing Stolen Generations records. The forum was live streamed via Microsoft Teams and recorded.

We encourage all public sector staff to watch the recording to hear the speakers sharing their experiences in assisting families access historical records from government, including providing information about the types of records held, and how to make the access process easier. It is important to understand and recognise at the centre of these requests are individuals and families. All public servants have a role to play in providing easy access to records through informal access schemes wherever possible, with formal access applications required only as a last resort.

The speakers included:

  • Ms Kathy Frankland (Manager, Community and Personal Histories, Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Partnerships)
  • Ms Ruth Loli (Research Manager, Link-Up Qld)
  • Ms Katrin Hurlimann-Graham (Manager, Collections and Discovery, Queensland State Archives)
  • Ms Clarice Stanley (Metadata Lead, First Nations Metadata Team, Queensland State Archives)
  • Mr Paxton Booth (Queensland Privacy Commissioner, Office of the Information Commissioner)

A recording of the forum can be viewed below or accessed via the OIC’s YouTube channel.

This discussion follows on from a joint statement issued by Access and Privacy regulators across Australia, to mark National Sorry Day on 26 May 2022, which recognised the important role of historical records in truth telling and sharing history, intergenerational healing, redress and reparations for Stolen Generations survivors and their families.

The statement committed to working together with the Healing Foundation and stakeholders to champion timely, easy access to records through information access schemes wherever possible, with formal access applications required only as a last resort.

In addition, to keep this important conversation going and moving forward, OIC enlisted Ian Hamm (Stolen Generations survivor and Chair of the Healing Foundation’s Stolen Generations Reference Group) to deliver the 2022 Solomon Lecture. In his keynote address, Mr Hamm shared his experience of accessing historical records and the importance of truth telling. A recording of the Solomon Lecture can be viewed here.