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The APS reconciliation journey

1992 Establishment of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Interest Group of the APS
1995 The first Welcome to Country and keynote address by an Aboriginal activist, Rob Riley, at the 1995 APS Conference
1997 The APS was a signatory to the Australian Council of Social Services (ACOSS) Statement of Apology to the Stolen Generation (ACOSS, 1997)
2000 The special edition of the Australian Psychologist on Indigenous psychology
2001 Reconciliation Australia the lead body on reconciliation was launched
2006 Bendi Lango bursary established to support Indigenous postgraduate psychology students
2008 The National Apology was delivered by then Prime Minister Kevin Rudd on behalf of the Australian people on 13th February
2008 The first ever meeting of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander psychologists and establishment of the Australian Indigenous Psychologists Association (AIPA)

Aboriginal psychologists and AIPA have been instrumental in encouraging the APS in becoming involved in more formal ways of working toward reconciliation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, leading to the APS developing a Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP).

2012 The APS first RAP Report (2011-2014) was released
2013 - 2016 The Australian Indigenous Psychology Education Project (AIPEP) grew out of the APS RAP actions related to psychology education
2016 APS staff members and the APS Board participated in cultural awareness and responsiveness workshops
2016 Tim Carey read the APS apology to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people at APS Congress in Melbourne