Sorry | National Museum of Australia

Kevin Rudd's first act of parliament as the Prime Minister of Australia was to say 'sorry' to the Stolen Generations of Australia. For some cartoonists it was a historic event while others chose to portray it as a token gesture.

An Indigenous man, wearing a stockman's hat, white top and blue pants, and holding a glass in one hand, standing on a balcony, looking out over a town. The balcony has wooden floorboards and rails and lattice work at the top. The town is comprised mainly of rooftops in shades of salmon and brown. One small person is visible in the mid-ground and a woman wearing a yellow dress is on the street below. The surrounding area is orange up to the light blue of the horizon. - click to view larger image — 'Aboriginal community' by Andrew Dyson

A single brick, freshly laid, sits on the ground with a string level just above it. The string level is attached to a short rod in the ground at the right of the image. 'Sorry' is written on the brick on the three visible sides. '13th February' is under 'Sorry' on the long side of the brick facing the viewer. A bricklayer's trowel sits on the ground just in front of the brick. In the middle and left distance a bank of softly rendered clouds curves up toward the top left corner of the image. Grout surrounds the brick where it makes contact with the ground. Light and dark tones around the edge of the image form a gently undulating soft border. - click to view larger image — 'Sorry – the first brick' by David Rowe

Four former Australian prime ministers seated side by side, holding hands and wearing T-shirts emblazoned with the letters 'S' 'O' 'R' 'R'. Gough Whitlam is on the far left. Alongside him are Malcolm Fraser, Bob Hawke and Paul Keating. An empty seat for 'Hon. Mr Howard' is visible beside Keating. A sign 'Sorry – couldn't be bothered' is propped on the seat. Lobbecke has signed his name with a boomerang insignia replacing the 'o'. - click to view larger image — 'Sorry – couldn't be bothered' by Eric Löbbecke

A woman in the top left wearing a pink shirt with a 'V. Sorry' slogan. Her interlinking hands point to the slogan. A man with a goatee beard stands at the top right and points to '$orRy' printed on his white T-shirt. A woman with curled hair and pearl drop earrings is at the front left, turning to look at the man. She has 'Sorry but' written in copperplate style on her white T-shirt. A woman with long, straight black hair stands front right. 'sorry' is typed across her black T-shirt. - click to view larger image — 'Sorry, v. sorry' by Simon Letch

Two Australian landforms surrounded by a blue sea. Kevin Rudd stands smiling on the left landform, with his arms around a black man and a white man. An angry John Howard stands on the right landform. Brendan Nelson straddles both landforms with stretched legs. - click to view larger image — 'Nelson's two Australias' by Ron Tandberg

Malcolm Turnbull and Brendan Nelson sitting back to back on a stage. An Aboriginal flag forms the projected backdrop. Nelson looks downcast with his head in his hands as Turnbull twirls his thumbs and says 'No... seriously... I think you handled that well'. - click to view larger image — 'The apology' by David Rowe

Kevin Rudd, wearing an olive suit and red tie, and carrying an oversized bandaid under one arm. He holds an Aboriginal flag with the other arm. The flag is disintegrating into Aboriginal customary spirit-like figurines at one end. - click to view larger image — 'Sorry bandaid' by Matt Davidson

An Aboriginal person holding the hand of a small child and a sign saying 'Stolen' above a map of Australia, stands at the 'Compensation Claim's desk. A white man wearing glasses and holding a book 'Australian Accounts 1788-2008' says 'It appears you were fully paid at the going rate of several mirrors, some beads and an axe-head. Sorry'. A 'History' book lies on the desk among stationery and other material. - click to view larger image — 'Compensation claims' by Bruce Petty

Behind the Lines 2009

Behind the Lines 2010

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The National Museum of Australia acknowledges First Australians and recognises their continuous connection to country, community and culture.