But he was glad he did. 

Mr Sculley joined survivors and supporters at the Mercure Hotel and Convention Centre on Monday to watch Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Opposition Leader Bill Shorten deliver their milestone speeches from Parliament House.

“It was very hard, quite a few times I had to hold myself,” Mr Sculley said. 

“But there were a lot of good words said and sincere words that really encouraged me and myself, my personal feelings, to keep myself consoled and hold it in.”

Mr Sculley, acknowledging his own feelings of confusion prior to the event, felt it important to recognise the survivors who could not bring themselves to be there.

“The people of Australia really have to understand the difficulties of all of us of what we face,” he said. “It’s not just this day, it’s the future as well. We have to face these sorts of battles on a daily basis.”

For Mr Sculley, the apology gave him confidence the survivors had been heard and action would be taken. 

“I don’t think (the reforms) will get swept away,” he said.

“Time will tell and we will be watching because this is something that should never have happened and should never be allowed to happen again. The only way to make certain is to strengthen the laws… at the end of the day, if we can’t protect our children, who are we?”

Mr Sculley said he would like to see more transparency and progress updates on how the recommendations were being implemented, ensuring the public – not just parliament – was included in the process. 

Meanwhile, Ballarat survivors Tony Wardley and Paul Auchettl travelled to Canberra in a ute covered in ribbons and messages of support in protest of the apology.

With bags full of ribbons, the survivors spread the ‘Loud Fence’ message with stops along their journey.

Mr Wardley said Ballarat survivors were the first to tie ribbons on a tree sculpture on the lawns of Parliament House, with leaders including Mr Morrison, Mr Shorten and Justice Peter McClellan adding a ribbon of their own. 

“I think that was symbolic because that started in Ballarat,” Mr Wardley said. “We have some apology ribbons to come back and put back on the fence to bring some of Canberra to Ballarat.”

As for the apology itself, Mr Wardley said it left him with a “very hollow feeling” and there were parts of the speech that turned his stomach.

He said he could not take the apology seriously considering the treatment towards refugee children on Nauru. 

“Everything the Prime Minister said is contradicting with his actions,” he said.

“In his speech he tried to stress ‘Australians’, well as far as we’re concerned, every child needs protection, it doesn’t matter where they’re from. That was a concern for me.”

Mr Wardley said he was still waiting to see transparency from the church and wanted the work of the royal commission to be upheld.

“Implement all the recommendations the way they are meant to be and coordinate the states so everyone is on the same page and protect children,” he said. 

“Hopefully there has been some progress in children being more aware and safer, but it is not there yet and that’s the scary part.” 

But Mr Wardley said the support for survivors was still incredibly strong in Ballarat and believed there had been significant change within his own community. 

“I think they’ve turned a big corner from being the place where that (abuse) could be perpetrated, now I think it is a much safer city and a much more understanding city,” he said. 

“You feel that support now. There has been a big shift. I was talking to Peter McClellan and that was one of his goals, to shift people’s perception on this so that it won’t happen again.”

LEADERS REFLECT ON APOLOGY

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews watched on with survivors at the Mercure Hotel and Convention Centre as the national apology was delivered and broadcast across Australia.

Ballarat was one of four official state government viewing locations along with Melbourne, Geelong and Traralgon.

Wendouree MP Sharon Knight, who also attended the event, addressed the room of survivors and supporters before the viewing.

She was emotional when reflecting on the significance of the morning. 

“There are some people that didn’t want the apology, understandably, and there are some who did,” she said.

“And for those who did I think it was really appropriate that we all gather together and we all watch it together and have that support there.

“I know for myself I was surprised because my dad was raised in orphanages… I was caught unawares by how important it was for me to hear that apology, now that he is not with us anymore.

“The importance of it goes beyond those who are victims, to their families and their loved ones.”

Ballarat’s federal member Catherine King welcomed the apology as an important moment in the healing process for many survivors.

“While I know not all in the Ballarat community fully support the apology, I believe it is important governments acknowledge faults of the past,” she said.

“While the apology is welcome, far more needs to be done. Redress needs to be fair and universal, and survivors and their families need to be able to expect the full and ongoing support of the community and government.”

Ms King said the national apology, the royal commission and the national redress scheme would have not been possible without the “extraordinary courage and determination” of survivors and their advocates, including many from Ballarat.

To contact CASA call 5320 3933 or free call 24 hours 1800 806 292. Lifeline can be accessed on 13 11 14.