The New South Wales government will hire a specialist to investigate Kinchela Aboriginal Boys Training Home sites where ground-penetrating radar detected areas resembling clandestine human burial sites.
The Kinchela Aboriginal Boys Training Home was operated by the Aborigines Protection Board, later known as the Aborigines Welfare Board, under the NSW government from 1924 until its closure in 1970.
Between 400 and 600 Aboriginal boys, aged five to 15, were removed from their families and confined there under the stolen generations policies.
The objective was to assimilate them into white colonial society by training them as labourers.
Guardian Australia reported in September that at least nine "suspicious" sites of potential graves were found at the boys home, known for its violence and abuse during the stolen generations era.
Experts using ground-penetrating radar identified "high priority anomalies" indicating "signal patterns that in other contexts have proven to be human burials," which cannot be explained by other sources.
The report has called for a comprehensive search of the entire property near Kempsey, NSW. It suggests that any human remains discovered are likely to be from clandestine burials rather than Christian or any other type of formal interments.
The authors of the report noted that the anomalies detected could be either archaeological or forensic.
They stressed that excavation is necessary to confirm the presence of buried bodies.
Linda Burney, former federal Indigenous Australians minister, described the findings as "deeply disturbing" and demanded a thorough investigation.
NSW Premier Chris Minns has pledged support for additional searches.
In January, the NSW government expanded the search to include two other Stolen Generations institutions: Cootamundra Girls Home and Bomaderry Infants Home.
Following the revelations, Aboriginal Affairs NSW has facilitated meetings between the Kinchela Boys Home Aboriginal Corporation, the survivor organisation, and the Kempsey Local Aboriginal Land Council, which owns the site.
A spokesperson for David Harris, NSW Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Treaty, said the government is enlisting expert archaeological and heritage services to advance the Missing Children Project, which now includes all three institutions.
"This is highly sensitive and technical work which requires a number of steps to comply with heritage legislation," the spokesperson said.
"The minister notes the sensitivity of these issues which involve sorry business and can cause trauma for stolen generations survivors, their families and their communities."
Kinchela, located on the banks of the Macleay River, featured a dairy and farm where the boys performed all the work.
Survivors of Kinchela have consistently claimed that Aboriginal boys died at the home due to severe physical punishment, neglect, or potentially foul play.
