According to the offical inquiry and report, in some cases the removals were conducted with the misguided but charitable intention of providing the children with "a better life". However the report made it clear that there were genocidal intentions on the part of at least some government officials, who actively planned the extermination of the indigenous races of Australia. Although no firm figures could be determined, it is estimated that at least 30 000 children were removed from their parents over the seventy year period.
Awareness of the Stolen Generation, and the practices which created it, only began to enter the public arena in the late 1980's through the efforts of Aboriginal activists, artists and musicians. As media attention and public interest began to mount, the government of Paul Keating commissioned a formal inquiry, entitled "The National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from Their Families".
This inquiry commenced in May 1995, presided over by Sir Ronald Wilson, the president of the (Australian) Human Rights and Equal Opportunities Commission, and Mick Dodson, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner. During the ensuing 17 months, the Inquiry visited every state and Territory in Australia, heard testimony from 535 Aboriginal Australians, and received submissions of evidence from over 600 more. In April 1997 the official report "Bringing Them Home - Report of the National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from Their Families" was released.
Between the commissioning of the National Inquiry and the release of the final report in 1997, the conservative government of John Howard had replaced the Keating government. The report proved to be a considerable embarassment for the Howard administration, as it recommended that the Australian Government formally apologise to the affected families, a proposal actively rejected by Howard.
Findings of the official inquiry
THe report handed down by the National Inquiry
Court cases have been launched on the issue of the Stolen Generations. However, these cases have not been very successful, since it is difficult to prove what did or did not happen decades ago.
Appeals have also been made to the UN human rights treaty committees, and the UN committees have been largely favourable towards Aboriginal complaints. As a result of this, the Howard Government has become highly critical of the UN human rights system. (One consequence of this has been the refusal of the Howard Government to sign the Optional Protocol to the [Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women]? (CEDAW), which would grant the CEDAW committee the power to hear complaints from individuals.)
This article needs more facts, like: when did these removals take place, how many children were likely removed, links to some of the court cases and UN committee reports, etc.
http://www.hreoc.gov.au/social_justice/stolen_children/
The (Australian) Human Rights and Equal Opportunities Commission website
http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/special/rsjproject/rsjlibrary/hreoc/stolen/
The official Australian government report: "Bringing Them Home - Report of the National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from Their Families"