For thousands of passengers, Platform 1 in Sydney's Central Station is an unremarkable place to wait before boarding trains to the Blue Mountains, the Southern Highlands, or beyond. But for the countless survivors of the Stolen Generations, the platform marked the beginning of lifelong trauma.
On Tuesday, the NSW government officially unveiled a plaque at "Central" to recognise the forced removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families.
“Platform 1 is where these children arrived, were separated from their siblings and sent to institutions throughout the state,” it says.
“Some of these children never made it home, living their lives disconnected from their families and communities and not knowing their true heritage.”
The plaque is “one of many” to be rolled out in train stations across New South Wales.
Sarah Mitchell, the NSW Aboriginal Affairs minister, said the state government was committed to “real and meaningful” action in response to the Stolen Generations.
“Memorials like what we will now see in Central Station are crucial in assisting with survivors’ healing, and also serve as a reminder to help ensure the wrongs of the past are not repeated,” Ms Mitchell said in a statement.
“We know there is more to be done to continue this process, and to ensure survivors’ needs are supported and addressed in a culturally sensitive and trauma-informed way.”
