‘Taken to hell’: even today survivors of Kinchela boys’ home are known by their numbers

(L-R) James Michael ‘Widdy’ Welsh #36, Uncle Richard ‘Bear’ Campbell #28, Uncle Roger ‘Pigeon’ Jarrett #12, Uncle Allan Roosevelt ‘Boomp’ Cooper #4 and Uncle Bobby ‘Bullfrog’ Young #24 inside the former Kinchela Aboriginal Boys’ Training Home near Kempsey in NSW. Photograph: Blake Sharp-Wiggins/The Guardian

The Uncles of Kinchela have a strong bond. They tease one another all the time. They finish each other’s sentences. They know when to fall silent. They shout numbers at each other – the ones they were given when they were taken away from their families and incarcerated in the “hellhole” that was Kinchela Aboriginal Boys’ Training Home.

“Hey, 36!” Uncle Richard “‘Bear” Campbell shouts at Uncle James Michael “Widdy” Welsh, who responds immediately. Thirty-six was Uncle Widdy’s number in the home when they were boys.