Mr Rudd said he was determined to raise the standard of living for Aboriginal Australians, many of whom live in remote, impoverished camps where alcohol abuse and violence are entrenched. -- PHOTO: REUTERS

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd would deliver the apology on Feb 13, Indigenous Affairs Minister Jenny Macklin said.

Mr Macklin said the apology to those Aborigines who were forcibly taken from their families as children, and who were mostly raised in foster care or institutions, was the 'first, necessary step to move forward from the past'.

The previous conservative government steadfastly refused to offer an apology to Aborigines for past wrongs and implied that saying sorry would place the blame on the public.

'The apology will be made on behalf of the Australian government and does not attribute guilt to the current generation of Australian people,' Mr Macklin said in a statement.

He did not reveal details of the apology but said the government had been consulting widely with Aboriginal leaders and indigenous groups on the wording to ensure it fostered better relations.

'Once we establish this respect, the government can work with indigenous communities to improve services aimed at closing the 17-year life expectancy gap between indigenous and non-indigenous Australians,' Mr Macklin said.

Thousands of Aboriginal children, mostly those of mixed descent, were taken from their families and placed in institutions or foster care or adopted under policies designed to assimilate them into the mainstream community.

A 1997 report by the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission found that the effects of separation on the lives of indigenous Australians had been devastating for both those who were removed and their families and communities.

Mr Macklin also said there would be a traditional Aboriginal welcome ceremony when parliament opens on Feb 12.

'This welcome will carry national significance in symbolising a future of respect and partnership with indigenous people,' she said.

The government has ruled out offering financial compensation to the members of the 'stolen generation', but Mr Rudd said earlier on Wednesday that the symbolism of the apology was important.

'It's building a bridge of respect which I think has been in some state of disrepair in recent decades,' he told reporters.

Mr Rudd said he was determined to raise the standard of living for Aboriginal Australians, many of whom live in remote, impoverished camps where alcohol abuse and violence are entrenched.

For Christine King, from the Stolen Generations Alliance which has consulted with the government on the apology, the announcement was an emotional moment.

'Older people thought they would never live to see this day; it's very emotional for me and it's very important,' she said through tears.

'It's fundamental to our healing, it's actually fundamental to the healing of the whole country and so we're very excited about it.'

The chief executive of Reconciliation Australia, Barbara Livesey, said the apology to those who were taken from their families under a practice that continued until the 1970s would be a historic moment.

'And it's a moment that all Australians should feel incredibly proud of, that we're recognising the mistakes of the past, acknowledging them, and moving forward together, indigenous and non-indigenous people side-by-side,' she said. -- AFP