Kinchela Boys Home: 100-Year Commemoration
Brief
Aboriginal Affairs NSW and the Kinchela Boys Home Aboriginal Corporation (KBHAC) engaged Campfire x to document and elevate the 100th-anniversary commemoration of the opening of the Kinchela Boys Home (KBH). The objective was to address the legacy of the Stolen Generations—specifically the hundreds of Aboriginal boys forcibly removed from their families and incarcerated at the notorious Kempsey institution between 1924 and 1970. Through a First Nations lens, the project sought to create a platform for truth-telling and intergenerational healing for survivors (the Uncles), their descendants, and the broader Australian community.
Idea
The creative concept centred on the survivor-led philosophy: “The truth will set you free”. Following extensive consultation with KBHAC and the surviving Uncles, Campfire x landed on producing a cinematic record of the 100-year commemoration event held on Dunghutti land. The core message focused on the power of collective presence and the necessity of acknowledging past injustices—such as the suppression of culture and identity—as the primary foundation for genuine reconciliation.
Execution
The production was executed during the 100-year commemoration in late 2024, requiring a sensitive approach to documenting a site associated with deep historical trauma.
• Cultural Protocol & Safety: The execution involved filming traditional smoking ceremonies and interviews within “yarning circles,” ensuring a safe space for survivors to recount experiences that official state records often failed to document accurately.
• Methodology: Shifting away from standard corporate production templates, the team prioritised a “collective togetherness” approach. This methodology mirrored the path of survivors reconnecting with the site, using the physical evidence of the former institution as a “living museum” to anchor their stories of resilience.
• Production Steps: Production included on-site interviews at the Kempsey location, capturing the emotional journey of the Uncles as they shared their truth with hundreds of supporters and descendants.
Outcome
The commemoration and its associated cinematic content have significantly impacted the national conversation around truth-telling:
• Visibility: The 100-year commemoration received widespread national media coverage, including features by ABC News, 2SER, and the Justice and Equity Centre.
• Strategic Support: The project bolstered KBHAC’s ongoing campaign to obtain ownership of the former KBH site to turn it into a national site of healing.
• Engagement: The digital assets and event resulted in increased impressions and reach, successfully educating a broad audience on the “modern slavery” practices historical survivors endured.
• Long-term Impact: The site’s global significance was highlighted by its inclusion on the World Monuments Fund Watch List, reinforcing the role of truth-telling in preventing the repetition of past harms.
