1934

Western Australia Royal Commission condemns solitary confinement of Aboriginal children. The Moseley Royal Commission into the Moore River Native Settlement found that the practice of locking Aboriginal children in isolation (‘the Boob’) was ‘barbarous and must be stopped.’ This is the earliest known official condemnation of solitary confinement for children in Australia.

1990

Australia ratifies the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). By ratifying the CRC, Australia committed to upholding Article 37, which prohibits torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment of children, and mandates that detention be a last resort and for the shortest appropriate period.

2000

NSW Ombudsman raises concerns about youth isolation. Oversight bodies begin reporting that children in facilities such as Cobham and Reiby are being confined for up to 23 hours a day due to operational lockdowns. These conditions meet international definitions of solitary confinement.

2006

Australia signs the Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture (OPCAT). Signing OPCAT signals Australia’s intention to prevent torture and ill-treatment in places of detention. However, the protocol would not be ratified until 2017.

2007

UN Istanbul Statement on Solitary Confinement. Leading psychologists and legal experts declare that prolonged solitary confinement causes irreversible harm and should be banned, especially for children.

2008

UN Special Rapporteur Manfred Nowak: ‘Solitary confinement of children is torture.’ Nowak declares that the imposition of solitary confinement of any duration on juveniles amounts to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, and should be absolutely prohibited (UN Doc A/63/175, para 77).

2009

Human Rights Law Centre begins youth justice advocacy. The HRLC and other legal advocates begin documenting the misuse of ‘separation’ practices in Victoria and the Northern Territory, revealing that children are often isolated for days without external review.

2011

Un Special Rapporteur Juan Méndez echoes Nowak’s conclusions, stating again that solitary confinement of children is a violation of international law.

2014

NT and WA face scrutiny over extended isolation. Reports emerge of children in the NT and WA being held in isolation units for up to 20 days at a time.

2015

UN adopts the Mandela Rules. The revised UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (Mandela Rules) define solitary confinement as 22+ hours without meaningful human contact and prohibit its use on children (Rules 44-45).

2016

Don Dale scandal aired by Four Corners. Footage shows children being tear-gassed, hooded, and locked alone in cells at Don Dale Youth Detention Centre (NT). One boy is confined for 15 days. The program sparks national outrage.

Royal Commission into the Protection and Detention of Children in the NT is announced. The federal government launches a formal inquiry following public outrage from the Don Dale footage.

2017

Royal Commission final report recommends ban on solitary. The NT Royal Commission finds solitary confinement was used routinely and unlawfully. It calls for an explicit legal ban and the embedding of child rights in all youth justice laws.

Victoria’s ‘Same Four Walls’ report reveals systemic isolation. The Commission for Children and Young People reports that Victorian youth justice centres had kept children locked alone in cells for up to 23 hours a day during staffing shortages.

Australia ratifies OPCAT. This obligates Australia to establish independent inspection mechanisms to prevent torture and ill-treatment in places of detention, including youth facilities.

2018

WA reports show girls held in isolation for 250+ days. Investigations at Banksia Hill reveal prolonged solitary confinement of girls. Amnesty International and media raise alarm about conditions equivalent to torture.

2019

UN Committee on the Rights of the Child reviews Australia. The committee reminds Australia that solitary confinement of children violates Articles 19 and 37 of the CRC and calls for an immediate national prohibition.

2023

Queensland Child Death Review Board links solitary to youth deaths. A report reveals that one First Nations teenager was detained for 376 days, mostly isolated. Another child experienced dozens of 22-hour lockdowns. The report links these conditions to deterioration in mental health.

WA Supreme Court declares solitary unlawful. The court issues a permanent injunction after children were held in Banksia Hill and Unit 18 for up to 133 days in isolation. It confirms that this violates both state law and international law.

SA Guardian report finds 23-hour lock-ins at Kurlana Tapa. Children in South Australia’s youth detention are being kept in cells with limited human contact, leading to incidents of self-harm to escape isolation.

Queensland Ombudsman report finds systemic separation. Despite reform efforts, the Cleveland Youth Detention Centre continues to use separation extensively due to staff shortages. Children are left in cells without educational access or therapeutic support.

2024

Australia and New Zealand child commissioners issue joint statement. The commissioners demand an end to all isolation practices except as a last resort and only for imminent safety risks, aligning with international law.

2025

No Child In Solitary campaign formally launched. A national movement emerges to expose, document, and end the solitary confinement of children across all Australian jurisdictions, uniting legal experts, survivors, advocates, and community leaders.