An Australian Senate inquiry on Wednesday has presented sufficient evidence of the sufferings of unwed mothers who were forced to give up their babies for adoption from the Second World War until the early 1970s, reports said.

About a hundred mothers who were in attendance heard the inquiry called for the government to apologise and compensate thousands of unwed mothers were either tricked or pressured into letting go of their babies, according to a report by the the Associated Press.

"If it wasn't illegal, it was unethical," committee chairwoman Sen. Rachel Siewert said.

Mothers applauded and wept while the report was presented.

The federal senate has agreed to an inquiry into the practice of forcible adoption in Australia between the 1940s and '80s, in support of a motion by Ms. Siewert on November 15.

Prior to the inquiry, the Western Australian state parliament apologised to mothers and children for the flawed practices in that state from the 1940s until the 1980s, AP reports.

Ms. Siewert had earlier urged the government to address this matter, saying unwed mothers who were victims of forced adoption policies will grieve over their loss for the rest of their lives.

In July last year, Roman Catholic hospitals in Australia also apologised for forcing unmarried mothers to favor adoption and let go of their babies. The state government was then urged to accept financial responsibility over the circumstances surrounding the forcible adoptions.