(Transcript from World News Radio)
Seven years ago Kevin Rudd apologised to the Stolen Generations - now he's worried reconciliation's gone backwards since then.
They're sentiments that were echoed at Sorry Day anniversary events around the nation.
Karen Ashford reports.
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With the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous advantage still gaping wide, former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd told a Sydney audience he fears goodwill is fading.
"What worries me seven years on is whether the spirit of reconciliation remains as fresh today as it was then. Whether governments across the nations are sustaining or reducing their financial effort because this is essential to the task."
Mr Rudd says people of conscience need to urge politicians to continue the investment.
In particular, he says Australia's now facing an Indigenous incarceration epidemic, and must do better.
"Let us be wary of repeating the errors of the past by creating what they fear may become a second Stolen Generation."
In Adelaide, former AFL star Michael O'Loughlin praised the apology, but says the hurt remains.
"The acknowledgement from government was amazing - what that's done is put us on the right poath, the right road to help that healing. But the long term negative effects that it's had on a lot of our mob is why I'm here and our younger generation - and I keep on talking about education and how do we get better at that. And talking about Australia's dark past and acknowledging that."
Amid a crowd of more than 1000, members of the Stolen Generations were guests of honour.
Peter Gibson was taken from his mother at just 2 months old.
"When I turned 18 and left my foster family, it would have been about a year after that that I finally caught up with my mother. But sadly when I did catch up with my mother she only lived on for another 2 years and then she passed away."
Carol Otto is a second generation stolen child - her mother before her was also removed.
"My mother was taken as a baby from Central Australia and my indigenous heritage was hidden for me for the early years of my life. Not having an identity impacts on anyone I think."
In Canberra, grandmothers marched against what they say is the unprecedented and ongoing theft of Aboriginal children in the name of child protection.
Audrey Martin is a grandmother from Alice Springs who travelled to the nation's capital to have her voice heard.
"We don't take white kids, we don't take white kids, and they steal Aboriginal kids.
Michael O'Loughlin says the strength of the Stolen Generations survivors is remarkable.
He's urged First Nations people to emulate that strength in the ongoing fight for justice.
"Resilient - I love that word, because when you become resilient, you become tough, and when you're tough you become just like our survivors - when you become like our survivors, nothing can break you."
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