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EDM 558 - Molly Kelly 1917 to 2004

Early Day Motion - EDM 558 - Table 4 February 2004 in UK Parliament by Jeremy Corbyn MP

That this House mourns the death of Australian aboriginal, Molly Kelly, who was one of up to 100,000 aboriginal children forcibly taken from their families between 1910 and 1970, and at age 14, was, along with her sister and cousin, placed in an institution far from home as part of Australia's policy to breed out the 'aboriginal' in youngsters; recalls how Molly walked 1,200 miles along a rabbit-proof fence to escape the institution and return to her mother; and calls upon the Australian Government to say sorry to the very many aboriginals who are recovering from this traumatic policy which went on to inflict an equally traumatic scenario on her daughters, Doris and Annabel, one of whom made a similar journey escaping an institution 10 years later in 1941, and to do everything within its means to ensure the recommendations of the 1997 report 'Bringing them Home' are implemented as a matter of the utmost urgency.

For your information, 39 signatories eventually signed Early Day Motion - EDM 558 on Molly Kelly, as below:

Jeremy Corbyn (Lab) John Austin Harry Barnes Richard Burden Martin Caton Frank Cook Ann Cryer Terry Davis Hilton Dawson Janet Dean Andrew Dismore Bill Etherington Paul Flynn Mike Hancock Nick Harvey Stephen Hepburn Kelvin Hopkins Lindsay Hoyle Dr Brian Iddon

Lynne Jones Nigel Jones Elfyn Llwyd Alice Mahon Rob Marris Paul Marsden Chris McCafferty John McDonnell Alan Meale Syd Rapson Angus Robertson Iris Robinson Bob Russell Alan Simpson David Taylor Simon Thomas Dr Jenny Tonge (LD) Dr Rudi Vis Robert N Wareing Derek Wyatt

Source: House of Commons Westminister

Other EDM's relating to Indigenous Australia:

• EDM 1000 (2008) - Indigenous Australians
• EDM 210 (2007) - British based mining companies
• EDM 558 (2004) - mourns the death of Australian aboriginal, Molly Kelly
• EDM 927 (2000) - Centenary of Australia

Further information: history issues page - includes news index and external links