I would like to acknowledge the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, the traditional custodians of the land from which I am writing, and pay my respects to the Elders both past and present. I would also like to acknowledge the Dunghutti and other First Nations peoples of this country who were victims of the Australian Government policies that created the Stolen Generations.
To understand Kinchela Boys Home Aboriginal Corporation (KBHAC), one must first understand what Kinchela Boys Training Home (KBH) was, and its continuing impacts. KBH was built on the stolen land of the Dunghutti people, 20km north-east of Kempsey in New South Wales. This ‘home’ housed young Aboriginal boys who had been forcibly removed from their families by the NSW Government for almost 50 years (1924–1970). While at KBH, the boys, who received numbers instead of being referred to by their names, were stripped of their childhood and Aboriginality, enduring a forcible assimilation project.
The nature of KBH makes this site a place of deep importance for survivors, their families and the community, with the site and the memories of survivors acting as a historical record of destructive policies implemented by the Australian Government, and also an opportunity for the education of Australians today. If you would like hear more about KBH, I would recommend the video created by KBHAC for NAIDOC Week 2022 called We Were Just Little Boys, narrated by KBH survivors and illustrated by Uncle Richard Campbell, #28.
KBHAC emerged from the survivors KBH as a way to help with the restoration and reconstruction of the ‘identity, dignity and integrity of survivors.’ Another of the key aims of this organisation is to address the impacts of intergenerational trauma that is experienced by the families and descendants of the survivors of KBH. This mission becomes clear in the motto of the organisation:
‘Unlocking our past to free our future’
As such, this organisation is incredibly active within its community, striving to achieve positive outcomes, evident in the numerous programs and services offered by KBHAC such as: Kin Connect, Connecting Abilities, Redress Support Service and Education Programs. If you would like to hear more about the work done by KBHAC please visit their website and/or their social media pages.
Finally, I would like to mention that October of this year marks 100 years since the gates of KBH were opened. As such, from the 18th-19th October, KBHAC invites KBH survivors, their descendants and families to honour the spirits of the children at KBH and to celebrate the past, present and future of KBHAC. I feel privileged that I will be able to volunteer at this event, and if you would like to offer your own form of assistance, you can donate here, or volunteer by emailing 100kbh@kbhac.org.au.
