Kinchela Aboriginal Boys' Training Home, Former Aboriginal boys' training home in Kinchela, New South Wales, Australia
Kinchela Aboriginal Boys' Training Home is a heritage-listed former boys' home at 2054 South West Rocks Road, Kinchela, in Kempsey Shire, New South Wales. Built between 1924 and 1970, it was also known as Kinchela Boys' Home and the Aboriginal Mission School. The property is now owned by Kempsey Local Aboriginal Land Council.
Kinchela opened in 1924 as the boys' counterpart to the Cootamundra girls' home, modelled on the Warangesda girls' dormitory. The Aborigines Protection Act 1909 and its 1915 and 1918 amendments let the Board assume full custody of Aboriginal children without a court hearing. Boys were trained for labouring work. It closed in 1970 and was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 17 February 2012.
The site sits on Dunghutti land and demonstrates how government policies separated children from their families and communities. Visitors can see how this place reflects the lasting impact of these practices on Aboriginal people today.
The property at 2054 South West Rocks Road is owned by Kempsey Local Aboriginal Land Council, not the Kinchela Boys Home Aboriginal Corporation. It is a heritage-listed former institution rather than a staffed memorial with guided programs, so arrange any visit through the land council and treat the buildings and grounds as a private, sensitive site.
Arriving boys were assigned numbers instead of names, a direct method to erase their Aboriginal identity. This harsh system shows how the institution systematically sought to sever each child's connection to their culture and family.
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