The Stolen Generation had a great effect on Aboriginal rights and freedoms as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people did not even have the right to raise and care for their own their children and as a result 100,000 Aboriginal Australians were displaced and placed into white families. The lack of understanding and respect for Aboriginal culture meant that many people who supported the removal of these children actually thought they were doing “the right thing”. The impact on Australian life is still felt today as the Stolen Generation is seen as a recent event, only ending in the early 1970s. The children who were taken away then now cannot trace their roots and therefore have no trace of their family history or where they came from and are still causing problems today. The Stolen Generation is seen as a serious chapter in our country's history and Aboriginal culture. History. Stolen Generation only came to light in the 1960s and early 1970s to shock and anger from the public. The rights of Aboriginal peoples in this period were increasingly diminished as many were forced to live on reserves or missions and their children were taken away at a young age. The rights of the Stolen Generation were somewhat better than the previous generation as they had the right to have good jobs, healthcare, and have and raise children as their parents had none of these rights. The assimilation program was a way to transform these Aboriginal children and it was essential to “make them white”; this can be seen as a violation of human rights and international law. Aboriginal people had virtually no rights when it came to starting a family and the stolen generation was used to show Australia the atrocities that have been happening in this country for two hundred years... middle of paper... poor management of the economy . Under Whitlam there was widespread unemployment and inflation and several scandals in his ministry which ultimately became his undoing. However, Gough Whitlam introduced important policies that shaped Australia's development into what it is today. Gough Whitlam brought about major social, economic and cultural reforms that continue in Australia today, such as free university and healthcare. Gough Whitlam had a great impact on Australian life; he made it easier for Australians to go to university and get healthcare and thanks to his actions in the 1970s more and more immigrants from Asia continue to come to Australia. Because of the contribution Gough Whitlam has made to this country; Australia today is very multicultural, Aboriginal people have more rights, women have equal pay and university and healthcare are now free in Australia.