Australians unite, almost, on Aboriginal apology

By Rob Taylor

CANBERRA (Reuters) - Thousands of Aborigines and other Australians hugged, sobbed or stood applauding on Wednesday as the country united for a new era in race relations.

In city plazas, gardens, schoolrooms and offices, millions were encouraged to pause as Labor Prime Minister Kevin Rudd delivered an apology for past injustices, including the forced removal of children, after a decade of conservative refusal.

"My heart feels like it is going to burst out of my chest," said Aboriginal state lawmaker Linda Burney in Sydney.

"I believe our country needs this to have happened so we can have a new beginning," said Melbourne woman Julia Bain, who watched Rudd's apology live on a huge television screen in the city's heart.

Aboriginal flags flew on major buildings, including Sydney's Harbour Bridge, or were carried by thousands of others who cheered as Rudd's speech began. Many had gathered since dawn, staking out prize places to watch history unfold.

"After all this time it's finally happened and I'm here to support all those mothers who went through so much pain at having their children taken away," said Aborigine Evonne Goolagong-Cawley, who won Wimbledon titles in 1971 and 1980.

Malcolm Fraser, conservative prime minister from 1975 to 1983, said he saw "a new chapter for Australia," telling Sky television he wished he had apologized when leader.

Another former prime minister Paul Keating said Australia had witnessed a day of "open hearts".

"The Stolen Generation was a cut right across the spirit of those people and the soul of the country," Keating said.

Prominent indigenous leader Pat Dodson, considered the father of the push for reconciliation between Aborigines and non-indigenous Australians, said the government should now look at compensation for the victims of past policies.

"The whole issue of making good for the past, including compensation for the Stolen Generation, should indeed be pursued," Dodson told the National Press Club.

"But let us do it in a considered and negotiated manner as part of a carefully constructed process, aimed at building an Australian nation that recognizes and respects Aboriginal history, culture, language and society," Dodson said.

But not everyone supported Rudd, with some fearing the apology could open the door to billions of dollars worth of legal claims for the past hurt suffered by Stolen Generation children.

Outspoken conservative politician Wilson Tuckey, known as Ironbar for his uncompromising views, walked out of parliament before the apology, saying it would do little for Aborigines.

"Tomorrow there'll be no petrol sniffing, tomorrow little girls can sleep in their beds without any concern - it's all fixed, the Rudd spin will fix it all," Tuckey quipped.