To be seen and not heard: the story of the Kinchela Training Home for Aboriginal Boys 1923-1970

This thesis is a narrative transcribed from the oral histories of Aboriginal men about their childhood at the Kinchela Aboriginal Boys' Training Home. This Home can be seen as a metaphor for the silencing of Aboriginal children's voices. Finding a voice and hearing the oral histories of the KBH men was the cornerstone for this research. The narratives testify to the denial of a very basic right, the child 's right to a family and to know the country from whence they have come. Telling their stories has become a vehicle of empowerment and when intertwined with the hegemonic discourse of the written records these previously unspoken stories create a new discourse, a new knowledge about the Kinchela Boys' Training Home, describing colonial attitudes of patriarchy, racism and the perception of 'in the child's best interest'. Since the National Inquiry into the separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families was released in 1997, there has been a greater awareness and willingness by those affected by separation to speak out about their experiences. This awareness has encouraged many to come forward and speak of their individual pain and to identify with others who share similar pain and suffering, and join together on a Journey of Healing - a Journey Home. By listening to their stories and hearing their previously silenced voices I have accepted the role to transcribe the voices of the men. In translating their narratives I have produced a document that describes 'why ' the Home existed 'what ' happened there and 'how ' the Board, representing the Government, was able to remove children to the Kinchela Training Home for Aboriginal Boys. In this way the history of Kinchela Boys Home becomes tangible to a wider audience and a valuable instrument for moving forward the debate on reconciliation.