Weekend camp at Fairbridge Pinjarra
A report by Dale Lynch Thanks to the efforts of John Ryall and SAG we had a great weekend at Fairbridge Village in May this year. The Fairbridge Farm School was established in 1913 by Kingsley Fairbridge as a farm school for child migrant children sent out from the UK. By the time it closed in 1981, it is believed over 3,000 children passed through the farm. The property is now owned by Alcoa but leased out and is now a home stay venue along with festivals and other events. Fifteen of us arrived at Fairbridge on the Friday afternoon and we all stayed in one large cottage, which can sleep up to 24 people if needed. After a great lunch some of us explored the farm while others worked getting the wood fires going before it got too cold. The lovely Epe Ryall and a team of helpers prepared a Friday feast which we all enjoyed immensely. After the
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clean-up, most of us adjourned to the large lounge room where the wood fire was blazing and we watched the movie Bohemian Rhapsody, while others talked and played games in the dining room. Saturday activities included a visit to Pinjarra for shopping, the tea rooms and the museum, and in the afternoon we were given a great tour of the village by Derek Smith and Graham Bennett. Derek and Graham are former child migrants who lived at Fairbridge in the 1950’s and 60’s, and both are Committee Members of the Old Fairbridgians Association (WA). Their stories of their childhood experiences at the farm were not only immensely informative, interesting and real, but funny and entertaining as well. They kept us thoroughly enthralled. The weekend was a great success and I’m looking forward to our next stay there. The photo above shows members of our group with Graham and Derek during the guided tour of Fairbridge.
May 2019 at Fairbridge House
