National Sorry Day2026 · Date · History
Australian Human Rights Commission, AIATSIS, Reconciliation Australia and current PM&C material verify May 26, the first National Sorry Day on 26 May 1998 and the date’s connection to the 1997 tabling of the Bringing Them Home report.
About National Sorry Day
National Sorry Day is observed in Australia on May 26 to remember and acknowledge the Stolen Generations and the harms caused by policies that forcibly removed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families and communities.
The first National Sorry Day was held on May 26, 1998, one year after the Bringing Them Home report was tabled in Federal Parliament.
Why National Sorry Day matters
The day centers remembrance, acknowledgement, truth-telling and the experiences of Stolen Generations survivors, families and communities.
Respectful coverage should foreground First Nations voices, avoid graphic or intrusive treatment of personal trauma, and distinguish historical facts from current political debate.
History of National Sorry Day
The Bringing Them Home report was tabled in Federal Parliament on May 26, 1997 after the national inquiry into the separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families.
The report recommended a national Sorry Day to commemorate the history of forcible removals and their effects.
Australian Human Rights Commission history says the idea initially came from Link-Up (NSW), while Indigenous and community groups organized the first observance.
The first National Sorry Day was held on May 26, 1998, exactly one year after the report was tabled.
National Sorry Day remains a separate observance from the Australian Government’s National Apology to the Stolen Generations delivered on February 13, 2008.
How the observance developed
This timeline uses documented milestones from reviewed sources. Missing stages are left out rather than guessed.
Link-Up (NSW)
The Australian Human Rights Commission’s Social Justice Report 1998 says the original idea for Sorry Day initially came from Link-Up (NSW).
Institutional establishment
Bringing Them Home recommendation for a national Sorry Day, implemented through community-led organizing in 1998
First documented observance
AIATSIS, Reconciliation Australia and Human Rights Commission sources identify May 26, 1998 as the first National Sorry Day.
What the evidence establishes
Confirmed institutional roles and milestones are shown first. Details that could not be established from the reviewed sources are listed separately below.
4 fields not established in reviewed sources
How to Observe National Sorry Day
Learn from Stolen Generations survivors and First Nations-led, government or human-rights educational resources.
Attend remembrance, truth-telling or reconciliation events where participation is welcomed and appropriate.
Use culturally respectful language and avoid reproducing personal testimony, images or names without permission and context.
Be aware that some resources may include names or images of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who have died.
Keep current policy advocacy or electoral debate separate from the sourced historical facts about the observance unless clearly attributed.
National Sorry Day Facts
National Sorry Day is observed on May 26.
The first National Sorry Day was held on May 26, 1998.
The date is the anniversary of the May 26, 1997 tabling of the Bringing Them Home report in Federal Parliament.
The Bringing Them Home report recommended a national Sorry Day to commemorate the history and effects of forcible removals.
National Sorry Day is distinct from the February 13, 2008 National Apology to the Stolen Generations.
Topic and context
What this page does not assume
- Keep the source-defined country, community, organizer or institutional scope; do not silently broaden it.
- Do not treat the title alone as proof of government recognition or public-holiday status.
- Do not add a creator, founding story or origin claim unless the supporting evidence establishes it.
- Remembrance Civic Context Care.
Evidence & sources
Sources used across the guide are gathered here. Labels show how each source supports the page, and contextual references are kept separate from primary evidence.
AIATSIS — The Stolen Generations (opens in a new tab)
National Indigenous Institution
Australian Human Rights Commission (opens in a new tab)
Australian Human Rights Commission — Reconciliation / Bringing Them Home (opens in a new tab)
National Human Rights Institution
PM&C — National Sorry Day and National Reconciliation Week 2026 (opens in a new tab)
National Government Current
Reconciliation Australia — National Sorry Day (opens in a new tab)
National Reconciliation Organization
Understand it, compare it, then explore further
Start with the most common factual questions, then compare closely related observances and explore useful connections.
Frequently asked questions
When is National Sorry Day?
26 May The documented recurrence rule is: 26 May.
Does National Sorry Day fall on the same date every year?
Yes. It uses a fixed annual date unless stronger evidence changes the pattern.
Is National Sorry Day an official public holiday?
The reviewed sources verify it within this scope: Australia — national remembrance and reconciliation observance. That recognition does not by itself make it a statutory public holiday; the site only makes public-holiday claims when reliable evidence explicitly does so.
Who established or recognizes National Sorry Day?
The documented basis is: Australian Human Rights Commission, AIATSIS, Reconciliation Australia and current PM&C material verify May 26, the first National Sorry Day on 26 May 1998 and the date’s connection to the 1997 tabling of the Bringing Them Home report.. Supporting evidence includes Australian Human Rights Commission — Reconciliation / Bringing Them Home. The site does not infer a separate creator or founder unless reviewed evidence establishes one.
Is National Sorry Day international or country-specific?
No single country is assigned to this observance. Its documented scope is: Australia — national remembrance and reconciliation observance. Use that scope rather than assuming worldwide or country-specific status.
How is this page verified?
The factual information is checked against reviewed sources, including the date pattern, scope and institutional history. This page was checked on 2026-09-28.
When is National Sorry Day?
It is observed in Australia on May 26 each year.
When was the first National Sorry Day?
The first National Sorry Day was held on May 26, 1998.
Why is National Sorry Day on May 26?
May 26 marks the anniversary of the 1997 tabling of the Bringing Them Home report in Federal Parliament.
Is National Sorry Day the same as the National Apology?
No. National Sorry Day is held on May 26; the Australian Government’s National Apology to the Stolen Generations was delivered on February 13, 2008.
Other observances on May 26
These observances are also listed on May 26, 2027.
Guyana Independence Day
Parliament of Guyana documents the 26 May 1966 constitutional independence date; current Government of Guyana material confirms continuing May 26 anniversary observance.
Independence Day
Georgia’s National Archives verifies adoption of the Act of Independence on 26 May 1918, and current Georgian labour law lists 26 May as Independence Day.
IOSF World Otter Day
IOSF states that it established World Otter Day on the last Wednesday in May; its impact-report timeline records the launch in 2016.
National Blueberry Cheesecake Day
The U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council repeatedly identifies May 26 as National Blueberry Cheesecake Day in its industry marketing materials.