2026 Stolen Generations Organisation Workforce Gathering: Collective action for healing at the heart of sector gathering

Stolen Generations Organisations from across the country will gather on Kaurna Country (Adelaide) from 10 November, bringing together a wealth of knowledge, lived experience and shared commitment to strengthening support for survivors.

Hosted by The Healing Foundation, The Gathering 2026 brings together more than 20 organisations ahead of the 30th anniversary of the Bringing them home report in May 2027.

The three-day program focuses on health and ageing, records access, redress equity, truth-telling and intergenerational healing.

Key themes on the opening day of the event will be around grounding in local survivors' histories and highlighting sector leadership, truth-telling, and advocacy achievements.

Day 2 will include a series of workshops and plenary sessions on contemporary evidence on survivor and descendant experiences including healing outcomes, cultural connection and service needs. A key focus is discussions of how the sector is positioned to respond to future challenges and opportunities.

On the final day of The Gathering, attention will be on looking ahead to 2027, focusing on the 30th anniversary of Bringing them home and National Sorry Day on 26 May 2027.

The Healing Foundation Acting CEO Leonie Williamson said gathering a network of Stolen Generations Organisations from across the country was a show of strength from a sector that has led healing, advocacy and support for survivors for decades.

“The Gathering 2026 is a coming together of Stolen Generations Organisations from across the country to connect, share knowledge and create shared action for survivors,” said.

Ms Williamson said Stolen Generations organisations, which are typically community controlled and survivor-led and centred, contribute enormously to supporting survivors and their descendants by providing culturally safe, trauma-informed and healing-focused services.  

“Created by and for survivors, Stolen Generations Organisations understand local needs and provide culturally safe, trauma-informed support — from records access and family reconnection to social and emotional wellbeing and aged care support,” she said.

“The community trust and local knowledge Stolen Generations organisations hold make them uniquely placed to respond to Stolen Generations survivors”

A sector that supports healing across generations

Recent data from Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) shows that the impacts of forced removals continue to be experienced by survivors and descendants. There are estimated to be more than 23,300 survivors now aged over 50, a third of whom are 65+.

Survivors are 2.7 times as likely to have severe or profound disability and 1.9 times as likely to report high psychological distress as other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Importantly, the analysis found that around half of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults were descendants of the Stolen Generations. AIHW found descendants also faced greater challenges in social and emotional wellbeing, physical health and care needs.

Stolen Generations Organisations put healing into practice through camps, yarning circles and cultural workshops that reduce isolation; mentoring that connects Elders and young people; and truth-telling and oral history preservation that strengthen community understanding.

“Stolen Generations Organisations connect practical support with culture, family and community. Their work delivers on critical support for survivors and investing in the organisations now builds a lasting foundation for stronger communities into tomorrow.” Ms Williamson said.

This Gathering ensures that we focus on sector support and workforce sustainability – outlined as a priority in From Sorry to Action: A plan to act on Bringing them home (2026–2028), which calls for firm commitments to deliver change for survivors within two years.

Media contact: HFmedia@healingfoundation.org.au or 0409 867 747