Ten years on, Stolen Generations descendant Lynne Augustakis reflects on her Link-Up (Qld) reunion experience in 2016:
My name is Lynne Augustakis and I’m a proud Bundjalung woman. I live in Brisbane and I’ve lived here most of my life.
When I first got in touch with Link-Up (Qld), wow, amazing people. I made one phone call and they were so beautiful to me. They said, “Let’s make a time,” and we sat around the table and we discussed everything.
Link-Up (Qld) was my first home, the first place I felt at home. They’ve kept me like family. I was going to their beautiful lunches, and I was having connections with people. I still have friends from the very first day that I was there.
When Link-Up (Qld) called me to say that I was, I was finally getting that reunion, I couldn’t stop smiling. I just kept thinking, “Now I’m finally gonna find family. I’m finally gonna meet my mother’s people.” I walked into the land council office of the Bundjalung people. I walked through the doors and I said, “We’re here to meet the Kapeen family.” And a young man walked out through the door, and I just looked at him and, and he just said, “I’m Marcus, and I’m actually a family member.” You know, they asked me questions, “What is it that you want?” And I said, “I want my family. I want to know if you knew my mother. Did you know my mother?” And one lady sat down and she put her hand up and she said, “Yes, my name’s Aunty Julia, and I remember your mother.” And then I sat across from her. We chatted about it. It was just brilliant. And other people came up then and telling me stories about my mum’s family.
So here I am. I’m putting pieces together of things I never knew about my mum. Marcus showed me, he took me to my great-grandmother Charlotte and my great-grandfather John Kapeen, to their grave site that they had found when they were clearing the land. They knew that there were graves there, but they didn’t know where they were.
After the whole experience, I found friendships and I still, you know, I call people down there and we chat and we do everything, because I know that this is what I longed for. I just got another part of me that needed to come out. It made me realise, all the things that I knew in my heart from when I was a little girl.
If I can say that to anyone, find that group that will work with you, and for me, it was Link-Up (Qld), and I know that you can do it. Don’t ever give up. Never give up. They’re there for you, making reunions happen. Bringing them home.
Lynne Augustakis
Lynne’s 2016 reunion story can be found in Volume 20 (May-June 2016) of the Link-Up (Qld) Magazine.
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Published June 2026.