A memorial in recognition of the Stolen Generations was unveiled at Kempsey Railway Station today.
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The plaque and memorial was a joint project between local Aboriginal Elders, Kinchela Boys Home Aboriginal Corporation and NSW Trainlink.
CEO of the Kinchela Boys home, Tiffany McComsey, said this memorial is a permanent reminder of the members of the Stolen Generation who came from Kempsey.
“This is about bringing everyone together in recognition. The footprints on the ground represent the boys and children taken from this area,” she said.
Kempsey Railway Station is where a large number of Aboriginal boys arrived on trains before being taken to Kinchela Boys Home. It is also where Aboriginal boys and girls from Kempsey and the wider Macleay Valley were brought and put on trains, to be sent on to institutions throughout NSW from 1924 to 1970.
Local Aboriginal Elder Uncle Richard unveiled the memorial and said today was about remembrance.
“We remember those children who were taken from their families. This memorial will help the healing process,” he said.
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Mayor Liz Campbell attended the unveiling and said today was about coming together as a community to support each other.
“The sense of belonging and love within a family was disturbed and broken through the Stolen Generation. I cannot even imagine the extreme sadness and pain that decisions of the past have left within Aboriginal people,” Mayor Campbell said.
“Today we take time to reflect, lets also reflect on the future and the healing process. Mingled with the sadness is the joy of being with each other as we support each other through the next generation.”
Robert Blanch from NSW Trainlink said the idea of creating a memorial came about through a meeting with local Elders and understanding the history.
“The idea for this memorial was raised last year when we met with local Aboriginal Elders and got a better understanding of the history in Kempsey and the history of the Kinchela Boys Home,” he said.
The memorial unveiled in Kempsey today was the first of its kind, with subsequent plaques to be unveiled around NSW throughout the coming months.
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