UNCLE WIDDY WELSH
Wongaibon
KEY THEME
Stolen Generations
THE TESTIMONIAL
“Never did like that word home.
It wasn't a home. It was a very cruel place.”
Uncle Michael 'Widdy' Welsh was eight years old when he was forcibly removed from his family in Coonamble, NSW. He was taken to Kinchela Aboriginal Boys Training Home — a place of physical, emotional and cultural abuse.
In this film Uncle Widdy shares some painful memories from his time in the home, including how the boys were forced to fight each other. Instead of showing these acts of physical violence, the film leans on deep red tones and close-ups to tell these stories.
The strength in Uncle Widdy’s story is felt in his reconnection to culture, Country and family. Today Uncle Widdy is the chair of Kinchela Boys Home Aboriginal Corporation — a survivor-led organisation dedicated to healing and strengthening identity for survivors and their families.