The Victorian Government has issued a formal apology to First Peoples for harms caused by past governments, delivering the statement during a historic joint sitting of Parliament.
Fulfilling a key recommendation of the Yoorrook Justice Commission — the nation's first truth-telling body — Premier Jacinta Allan delivered the apology with "open minds, open eyes and open hearts" on Tuesday, in a motion the state opposition voted against.
"This Parliament expresses our formal and sincere apology to First Peoples of Victoria for the harm inflicted upon them through the actions and inactions of the State, and the colony that came before it," Ms Allan told Parliament.
Speaking to First Peoples gathered in the visitors' gallery and an overflow viewing hall, the Premier said Parliament had long denied Aboriginal Victorians their rights and self-determination.
"Colonisation of what is now called Victoria was not peaceful," she said. "It was rapid and violent. Lands and waters were taken without consent. Communities were displaced, languages silenced, children removed, lives lost.
"Today, this Parliament becomes a place of reckoning, and that reckoning has meaning for all of us who call Victoria home. We acknowledge the harm inflicted on generations of First Peoples — and mark the beginning of a new era, one that embraces truth, honours justice, and creates space for a shared future built in full view of the past."
Ms Allan said Yoorrook had shown how colonial and state laws "enabled these acts — not by accident, but by design".
"The actions and inactions of the State — and the colony that came before it — carried out through words spoken and laws passed in the chambers of Parliament, resulted in profound and undeniable harms — the effects of which we are still grappling with today," she said.
The Premier — who previously told Yoorrook she felt distressed and ashamed when learning of massacres of Aboriginal people on Dja Dja Wurrung Country, where she grew up — outlined the harms caused by colonisation.
These included laws that "took land, removed children, broke families and tried to erase culture," she said. She noted laws that forced Aboriginal people onto missions and reserves, and enabled violence to be "committed under the banner of the state and the colony".
"From today, our hope is that your descendants and all Victorians hear these truths and move forward together in the knowledge of your legacies," Ms Allan said.
"We know that words alone are not enough. This is why the State of Victoria has pursued Treaty to create the enduring change that must follow. So, let this be one act among many that honours the truth and upholds justice."
Minister for First Peoples, Natalie Hutchins, urged Victorians to engage with Yoorrook's final report, describing it as a "powerful record" of the state's history from the perspective of Aboriginal communities.
She highlighted a "once thriving population" decimated by more than 90 per cent within two decades in the 19th Century, and people pushed onto missions and "denied their basic human rights".
"First peoples' cultures are intelligent, they hold incredible wisdom, and we all have something to learn from Aboriginal resilience and knowledge, and that's why we have Treaty," Ms Hutchins said.
"This apology today is a line in the sand."
Labor MP Sheena Watt, who at times reached for the Premier's hand during the address, appeared emotional when speaking to reporters earlier in the day. The Yorta Yorta woman said the combination of pride and sorrow she felt on Tuesday was an "interesting mix," but said she believed the apology would help create a fairer future.
She described hearing community members speaking their language in public.
"I can't do that," Ms Watt said.
"I have stories of heartbreak: From hospitals, from my grandmother; of loss and sorrow that weren't captured — but will be captured today."
Responding to the Premier's speech, Opposition Leader Jess Wilson — who had indicated on Monday she would not support the apology due to its reference to Treaty — highlighted what she called a "difference in approach between the Coalition and the government," framing it as a "policy disagreement on the most effective method to achieve meaningful outcomes and improvements for indigenous Victorians".
When the opposition voted against the motion and forced a division — despite lacking the numbers — shouts of "shame" echoed through the chamber as several observers voiced their disappointment.
"It's pretty disappointing their conduct, the way they acted, and to vote no against a pretty significant apology," said Assembly reserved seat holder for Dja Dja Wurrung, Djaran Murray-Jackson.
"It was pretty disappointing, from my point of view."
