Issue 15: Mar-Apr 2013

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AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND

 MICHAEL CATON  ASHER KEDDIE  Don hany wHO dO yOU think YOU ARE? IS BACK FOR 2013!

Heritage hotspots western Australia

lost boys of Gallipoli

newspaper

masterclass

the best free sites you can access from home

Find

sydney’s

hidden history

gippstown heritage park

Aus $10.50 incl GST NZ $11.95 incl GST PRINTED ON FSC-APPROVED PAPER MAR–APR 2013

9 771838 504008

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victoria

ISSN 1838-5044

Mar–Apr 2013

tracing the

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d l i h C migrants

& Connect the web resource helping survivors of the institutional care system

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The A&A PhoTogrAPhic comPAny, hill end 1872

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View 100 extraordinary images of 19th century Australia

View 100 extraordinary of 19th century Australia from the State Library’simages world-renowned Holtermann collection. from the State Library’s world-renowned Holtermann collection.

A free exHibition from 23 februAry to 12 mAy 2013

A free exHibition from 23 februAry to 12 mAy 2013 CurAtor-Led tourS Join Alan davies, the State library’s curator of

CurAtor-Led tourS Photographs, who will share insights into 19th century photographic techniques and the fascinating Join Alan davies, the State library’s curator of story of Bernhardt holtermann.

Photographs, who will share insights into 19th century 5 march 6–7 pm, 27 April photographic techniques and2–3 thepm, fascinating story 1 may 2–3holtermann. pm of Bernhardt P&d-3880-2/2013

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cost: $15, $1027 April 2–3 pm, 5 march 6–7 pm, 1 mayBookings 2–3 pm essential (02) 9273 1770 bookings@sl.nsw.gov.au

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StAte LibrAry of nSW

Follow us on

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modern artworks by ed douglas

In MeMory of MerlIn & Ken orchard inspired by 1870s

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Contents

On the cover

Issue 15, mar-apr 2013

49

16

Ask our experts The best ways to discover Sydney’s hidden history, and lots more expert advice

24

Heritage of old Gippstown Take a trip down memory lane in Victoria!

28

Newspaper masterclass The best free sites you can access from home to find out more about your family

34

Who Do You Think You Are? is back!

We talk to actor Michael Caton from the new series of the hit TV show about convicts, musters and art imitating life

39

Find & Connect The web resource helping survivors of the institutional care system

44 Child migrants

Curators from the Australian National Maritime Museum look at the reality of

Britain’s Child Migrant policy in the 1900s 49 I’ve no tears left Ann Howard looks at the Barnardos Homes

in the 1900s and the incredible bravery

behind each child’s story

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28

66

52

In search of the Lost Boys of Anzac Who were the first Australians to perish on 25 April 1915? Prof. Peter Stanley investigates

60

Heritage hotspots in Western Australia Take a whirlwind tour through the state’s most historic spots to visit

44

60

Contents

60 32

52

your family 31

Tales of tragedy and survival Findmypast wants to hear your stories about your Anzac at their new Memory Bank site.

We show you how you can get involved

56

Remembering the Boer War Dr Craig Wilcox reminds us that each of the wars Australians have been involved in has been very different from the others

regulars 6

Ed’s letter

10

Postie’s here!

Your thoughts, your say

11

Bob’s your uncle Network with other researchers and break down those brick walls!

13 Platform

We talk with archaeologist Adam Ford

as his show, Who’s Been Sleeping In My House? returns to our TV screens; plus,

the latest news and happenings from the

history and genealogy world 18

History now From society talks to new exhibitions, we spotlight the events you won’t want to miss around Australia and New Zealand

65 27

History apps Want to know the origin of names, or pinpoint the resting spot of loved ones?

We review the best new apps to download

66

The greatest fighting spirit Dr Peter Williams looks at the Battle of Milne Bay from the view of a Japanese fighter ace

68

The book shelf What we’re reading right now

74

One picture…1,000 memories The story behind one family’s precious image

offers 70 Giveaway

Win one of five stunning prints of

Dame Nellie Melba by Little Branch 71

Subscribe to Inside History… …and go into the draw to win one of 10 books published by the National Library of Australia!

our family

AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND

PO Box 406 Erskineville NSW 2043 Australia Publisher Ben Mercer ben@insidehistory.com.au Editor Cassie Mercer cass@insidehistory.com.au Designers Rohana Archer Kelly Bounassif Editorial contributors Miranda Farrell Paula Grunseit Barbara Hall Ann Howard Penny Hyde Lisa Murray Richard Offen Sue Reid Peter Stanley Kim Tao Sarah Trevor Mark Webster Craig Wilcox Peter Williams

Print Subscriptions See page 71 or subscribe online at www.insidehistory.com.au Digital Subscriptions For iPad, find us on Apple Newsstand For Android and PC, find us at au.zinio.com

Cover image A child aboard the Fairsea at Melbourne in January 1956 with British migrants [photographer unknown]. Courtesy National Archives of Australia.

The National Archives of Australia would love to know more about this young girl, who arrived from Britain, probably with her family. Her photo is one of 20,000 of migrants taken by government photographers which feature in the Destination Australia website, www. destinationaustralia.gov.au.

The website asks visitors to identify themselves or family and friends that they recognise — or to share their own migration stories.

Inside History (ISSN 1838-5044) is published six times a year by Cassie Mercer (ABN 13 353 848 961) PO Box 406 Erskineville NSW 2043 Australia.

Views expressed by the authors are not necessarily those of the publisher. Copyright 2013 by Cassie Mercer and Inside History. All rights reserved.

Distributed by Gordon and Gotch Australia Printed by Ligare Pty Ltd 138 Bonds Road Riverwood NSW 2210

editor’s letter

Many of us take for granted the ability to trace our family tree, at least in the fact that we know where to start.

But the thousands of people who were part of the wave of child migrants over the past century, or who spent their childhood in out-of-home care tell a very different story. This issue we’re spotlighting the important work being done to help these survivors cope with what they’ve experienced.

Turn to page 39 to read more about the Find & Connect web resource, and page 44 for our articles about Britain’s Child Migrant scheme. On behalf of the Inside History team I’d like to thank everyone involved for their help, and to the survivors themselves – now adults – for sharing their stories.

We have many other articles for you as well, including an interview with actor Michael Caton on what he loved about being part of the new season of Who Do You Think You Are? . It’s sure to be another wonderful series! Turn to page 34 to read more.

Historian Peter Stanley talks to us about his research on the first Australians to perish at Gallipoli . Read about his soon-to-be-published research on page 52.

We also discover some fascinating facts about Sydney’s hidden history with City Historian Lisa Murray (see page 16), including where to get more information on ancestors who ran pubs and hotels.

Plus, we embark on a whirlwind historical tour of the southern parts of Western Australia (page 60), we bring you the best events this autumn around Australia and New Zealand (page 18), and lots more!

PS. Remember to keep sending in your requests for the Bob’s your uncle section (see page 11). We’ve had some great successes so far in helping people knock down those brickwalls!

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CENTENARY OF CANBERRA 2013 $5 FINE SILVER PROOF COIN

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Celebrate the centenary of the nation’s capital with this magnificent coin.

The packaging includes a special coin holder that has been made to perfectly house the 20 cent commemorative circulating coin.

what’s on

History now

The best events across Australia & New Zealand compiled by Miranda farrell and Sarah Trevor

Image Queue of people on Swanston Street, Melbourne. Courtesy State Library of Victoria

Australian Heritage Week

13 to 21 April Celebrate our unique heritage this autumn during Australian Heritage Week. This annual event sees a host of activities planned across the nation, including tours, walks, and film screenings. Check the website for events in your area. (We think they’re worth lining up for!)

Visit heritage-week.govspace.gov.au

New South Wales The Battle Continues…

6 April In this lecture, Selena Williams from State Records NSW will visit the Society of Australian Genealogists to discuss soldier settlement after the First World War. Selena will outline how returned soldiers and nurses were eligible to take up land under the Soldier Settlement Scheme in NSW, as well as how you can locate their records. This lecture will capture the reality of life on the land and the difficulties these settlers faced in their new roles. Bookings are essential.

Visit www.sag.org.au

settlers, their direct descendants and the petty crimes that changed the course of their family history. Documentary photographer Mine Konakci has captured descendants, such as Ron Withington (pictured below), with a representation of the item stolen by their convict ancestor in 40 large-scale photographs.

Visit www.hht.net.au

Blue Mountains Family History Society Seminar

13 April The 1813 crossing of the Blue Mountains

by Blaxland, Lawson and Wentworth is the theme of this seminar. Held in the Springwood Presbyterian Church Hall, curator Graham Hunt will discuss the “Footsteps In Time” monuments throughout the area. John Cann, public access archivist from State Records NSW, will focus on convicts, shipping, divorce and probate records, and will also showcase a digital exhibition on the crossing of the Blue Mountains.

Email xploretree@yahoo.com.au

A Convict In The Family?

13 April to 14 July Presented by the Historic Houses Trust of NSW, this photographic exhibition at the Museum of Sydney explores the connection between Australia’s convict

Mine Konakci’s portrait of Ron Withington, whose ancestor, William Parish, was convicted of assault, is part of A Convict in the Family?

Australian Capital Territory Country Gardens, Country Hospitality

24 March For her recently published book, Country Gardens, Country Hospitality, gardening writer and photographer Holly Kerr Forsyth has travelled the country, revealing the landscapes that she loves.

At each stop, over a meal hosted by the owner, the stories behind the gardens were told, and their distinctive histories and features revealed.

Hosted by the National Library of Australia, hear Holly speak about the inspirational properties, and delicious meals created from recipes handed down from mothers or grandmothers that go to make up her new publication.

Visit www.nla.gov.au

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Australian War Memorial Open Day

6 April The Australian War Memorial will mark Canberra’s centenary with an action-packed open day — its first in six years! Grab the chance to discover our nation’s military heritage and bring the whole family for a great day out. The program includes a fly-past of military aircraft, historical vehicle and equipment displays, precision drill teams from Australia’s Federation Guard and behind-the-scenes tours of the memorial. An evening concert featuring the Band of the Royal Military College of Australia and a fireworks show are also in store. Admission is free.

Visit awm.gov.au

Queensland Winelander to Stanthorpe

9 to 10 March The Australian Railway Historical Society invites you to enjoy a picturesque weekend journey into the countryside aboard one of its historic trains. Departing from Roma Street Station and heading to Stanthorpe, you can sit back, relax and enjoy the gorgeous surroundings, along with light refreshments on board. The journey involves a trip to the Stanthorpe wineries, overnight accommodation, meals, and return trip to Brisbane.

Visit www.arhs-qld.org.au

National Trust Heritage Festival

18 April to 18 May With the theme of ‘Community Milestones’, this event is all about celebrating Queensland’s unique heritage and showcasing how its communities have developed. The program includes exhibitions and historical displays, discovery tours, open days at heritage properties, talks, lectures, themed dinners and plenty more.

Visit nationaltrust.org.au/qld

Military Records for Family Historians

20 April If your family tree features soldiers among its branches, this is the seminar for

you. Topics include NAA service records from the Boer War through to Vietnam, colonial Queensland’s military forces, and the John Oxley Library collection of war-related records. Held in Gaythorne by the Queensland Family History Society, this promises to be an informative session on Queensland’s war experiences.

Visit www.qfhs.org.au

Grass Dukes and Shepherd Kings

Until 21 April Squatters or aristocrats? This free exhibition at the State Library of Queensland’s Philip Bacon Gallery will broaden your understanding of 19th-century pastoral life on the Darling Downs. A remarkable group of squatters settled in the region from 1839 and set about building respectable homesteads, woolsheds and stables, along with formal gardens and exotic plants. They came to be known as ‘grass dukes’ and ‘shepherd kings’, the comical nicknames hinting at their political clout. Explore photo albums, planting journals, farm records and other prized possessions of these antipodean aristocrats on display. You’ll never think of ‘squatters’ quite the same way again.

Visit www.slq.qld.gov.au

Here’s your chance to take a peek into pastoral life on the Darling Downs at the State Library of Queensland’s exhibition. Works include Lincoln Sheep, Homeward Laddie (pictured) by Anthony Alder 1895.

Inside History | Mar-Apr 2013 |

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Victoria Bendigo Family and Local History Expo

17 March Boasting more than 60 specialist consultants and great resources for tracing pioneer families, the Bendigo Family and Local History Expo is one to mark in your diary. Many local history societies will be represented, plus it’s a chance to learn more about genealogical databases and indexes from across Australia, New Zealand, the UK and Ireland.

Visit www.bendigofamilyhistory.org

Gusto! A Culinary History of Victoria

Until 28 April Bite into the rich culinary history of Victoria with this free exhibition at the State Library of Victoria. From the first Australian cookbook published in 1864 to an actual World War I army biscuit, Gusto! features gastronomic treasures from the library’s collection and explores the state’s historic culinary landscape.

It covers subjects such as fine dining and food rationing, as well as the stories of significant culinary figures such as Stephanie Alexander.

Visit www.slv.vic.gov.au

Fear God and Honour the King: HMAS Melbourne 1913-1928

Until 1 May This fascinating exhibition by Military History and Heritage Victoria at the Royal Historical Society of Victoria commemorates the centenary of the arrival of Australia’s first cruiser, HMAS Melbourne, into Port Philip Bay on 26 March 1913. Learn more about this forgotten cruiser and the people who served in her, with a variety of artefacts from across Australia on display. The official opening on 26 March coincides with the book launch of The Forgotten Cruiser: HMAS Melbourne 1912-1928, by historians Andrew Kilsby and Commander Greg Swinden, RAN. Visit www.mhhv.org.au

South Australia Terre Napoleon — Land of Napoleon

Until 31 May Terre Napoleon presents a rare and beautiful collection of artworks capturing some of the first European views of South Australia. They were published in Paris in 1807 to document the fauna, flora, people and places encountered by Nicolas Baudin’s voyage of 1800 to 1804. They capture the beauty of the land and the sea. They also capture the wonder of artists painting a world turned upside down, where kangaroos hopped, platypus had the bills of ducks and emus were birds taller than people!

Visit www.maritime.historysa.com.au

Heritage Walk: Port Adelaide

20 April In the years since Port Adelaide was founded in 1840, a number of fascinating buildings were erected — many of which still stand today. The first structures included a wharf, holding sheds and a bond store. Over the course of the mid 19th century, a police station, post office, telegraph station, court house, a range of maritime offices and the present customs house were built in the area (to name just a few). Learn more about its development and historic buildings on this two-hour walking tour.

Call 08 8223 1272

Western Australia Unveiled Talk and Tour at the WA Museum

10 March Fashionistas, romantics and history lovers alike will revel in this behind-the-scenes look at the WA Museum’s bridal fashion exhibition.

Join curator Leigh O’Brien for an insider’s talk on favourite stories from the 65 wedding outfits on display, followed by a tour of the Unveiled exhibition. This exclusive event will highlight the historical background and personal stories behind the bridal glamour and romance of weddings from the 1800s to today.

Visit www.museum.wa.gov.au

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Which Genealogy Program?

6 April Using the genealogy software that best suits you could enhance the efficiency of family history research. This short course hosted by Western Australian Genealogical Society (WAGS) will explain the advantages of using genealogy programs, including those that can be downloaded online for free. Delivered by WAGS Webmaster Chris Loudon, this course will introduce you to software that may just revolutionise your research!

Visit www.wags.org.au

Tasmania Felt Presence

16 March to 28 April How accurate is our understanding of the horrific physical and emotional trauma suffered by female convicts sent to Australia? This question is asked by Felt Presence, a free exhibition at Devonport Regional Gallery showcasing works by eight artists who were asked to interpret the experiences of a real single female convict. This is an intense, thought-provoking exhibit.

Visit www.tendaysontheisland.com

Hearts Of Iron? Lawyers in Van Diemen’s Land, 1824–1836

11 April In colonial Tasmania, lawyers were often perceived as the ‘sharp practicing gentry’, charging exorbitant fees that drove colonists to destitution.

But how fair was this harsh reputation? Stefan Petrow, University of Tasmania, investigates the evidence in this talk on Tasmania’s early legal history, on the historic Port Arthur grounds.

Visit www.portarthur.org.au

New Zealand Family Footprints with Bruce Ringer

27 March Photographs can enrich our family narratives. Join Bruce Ringer from South Auckland Research Centre as he answers questions about what photographs can tell you about families, relationships and family activities in past years. Hosted by Auckland’s Central City Library, this is an illustrated talk using images from family albums and other sources reproduced on the Auckland Libraries’ Footprints database. Among other resources, Bruce has published a number of books and articles on local history topics.

Visit www.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz

Nelson Heritage Week

13 to 21 April Every year Nelson celebrates World Heritage Day with a week of special events geared to showcase its own history. This year’s theme focuses on harvest and transport.

Come learn about the ‘Demon Drink’ of Nelson’s early hotels on one of several guided walks, or the ‘Raspberry Train’ with one of the lunchtime speakers. Other activities include an interactive heritage experience, quizzes, exhibitions — plus the Harvest Dance at Fairfield House and even an edible trail map!

Check the website for full program details.

Visit www.nelsoncitycouncil.co.nz

This March, learn more about your family photos at Auckland Central City Library. Courtesy WLJ Ringer/Auckland Libraries, Footprints 03042.

Planning a genealogy, history or heritage event that you’d like to share with Inside History readers? We’d love to hear from you. Contact us at the details on page 5.

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genie on the go

History apps Though hardly hallowed by the passing of time, these apps harness the latest technology to help you link with the past in informative and interesting ways.

Mark Webster roadtests four of the latest to see how they fare.

last name origin AU$5.49/NZ $6.49; iOS compatible

genealogy gems AU$2.99/NZ$4.19; iOS compatible

instapaper From AU$3.07; iOS and Android compatible

restingspot Free; iOS and Android compatible

This is a real hobby horse of mine. A friend of mine had his arm and shoulder covered in Celtic tattoos, explaining he was rediscovering his Celtic past. I pointed out his surname was Anglo-Saxon. So was his mother’s... and every name he mentioned from his tree was either AngloSaxon or Norman. Ouch.

How much do you know about your family name? And what happens if your family has more mixed origins than just the British Isles? Luckily, this app lists more than one million surnames, and for English, Italian, French, Spanish, German and Portuguese. Yay! You get unlimited access for unlimited numbers of surnames, plus access to more than 50,000 coats of arms.

Genealogy Gems is a podcast that’s available free on the iTunes Store.

If you’ve never used podcasts before, open iTunes on your Mac or PC and click on the Podcasts tab — there are thousands available covering almost every subject imaginable.

Some of the history ones are terrific, and several fall directly under the ‘Genealogy’ heading, such as Genealogy Gems.

And now there’s an app for it. This brings the Genealogy Gems podcasts to your iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad along with bonus material including PDFs of tips and ideas from the show, extra audio and video content, and the ability to follow the show on Twitter.

This app is designed to save web pages for later offline reading, optimised for readability on iPhone or iPod touch screens and with most images stripped out.

When you’re researching, you sometimes find long articles and blog posts you don’t have the time to read on discovery.

You can save them with Instapaper, then read them later when you have the time.

You can browse articles your friends post on Facebook, Twitter, or Tumblr. What’s more, sending to Instapaper is supported by more than 150 other iPhone and iPad apps. Everything you download is then available offline, so you can read whenever you want, even on planes.

RestingSpot allows you to mark and share the exact location of your loved one’s final resting place — handy info to add to your family tree.

Once marked, current and future generations can use the GPS coordinates to return to the site. You can also add photos to profiles.

bomb sight

A fantastic website if, like me, you have relatives affected by the WWII bombing of London. It maps where each known bomb fell in the city during the Blitz. Input your family’s address at the time and it shows how close they were. You can specify certain dates or a bomb census week by week.

MORE bombsight.org

Inside History | Mar-Apr 2013 |

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your family

& connecting families

Finding

The Find & Connect web resource aims to help people who were in out-of-home care (and their families) access their records. We meet the historians behind it to learn more about this worthwhile project.

G

reg Baker is a survivor of the out-of-home care system. He spent his childhood and youth in seven different institutions and orphanages from 1957 to 1970, and says his experience as a care leaver is something that is still very much with him. “This journey as a care leaver is still with me, is me, and has profoundly influenced my life and those around me,” says Greg. “Finding answers and raising questions through records has been for me, an important part of my journey. These range from incidental Above Children gather at the serving window of the kitchen at Melbourne Orphanage, date unknown.

Courtesy State Library of Victoria, ID H2001.20/10.

facts like my father’s time in jail, to learning just three years ago [that] I have a younger half brother and sister who I may never know.”

Greg is part of the generation of ‘Forgotten Australians’. For him, the term is a sum of its parts. “The term ‘Forgotten’ lies at the heart of who we are,” says Greg. “Abandoned, blanked out, blotted out, buried, consigned to oblivion, disremembered, erased, fallen between the cracks, gone, left behind, left out, lost, and omitted, are a few synonyms that describe the adjective, thus the care leavers. The term ‘Australian’ [refers to] those persons who are native to Australia and those who immigrate to make Australia home.

We are real people in the real world, whose 

Inside History | Mar-Apr 2013 |

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your family

Mid

e r o m e l d

The reality of Britain’s Child Migrant policy in the 1900s left an indelible mark on the children who were sent to Australia. Penny Hyde from the Australian National Maritime Museum explains.

B

efore his seventh birthday, Peter Bennett saw more of the world than most children his age would see in a lifetime. En route from England to Australia, he saw ice in the Arctic sea, pine trees in Canada, pineapples in Fiji and the weathered shores of New Zealand. Then, in August 1940, in a cold pre-dawn light, he saw Fairbridge Farm School in Molong, New South Wales, for the very first time.

It was to be his home for the next 10 years.

To the background of a rapidly escalating world war, Bennett had left the Middlemore Children’s Emigration Home in Birmingham in June 1940, bound for Sydney. He travelled on the liner Aorangi in a group that included his nine-year-old sister Marie, 26 other children and two guardians.

Throughout their short lives these children had been categorised as many things: ‘illegitimate’, ‘orphan’, ‘foster child’, but upon arrival at Molong they had earned another weighty moniker: ‘child migrant’.

By the time of Bennett’s journey to Australia, child migration schemes had been operating out of Britain for nearly a century. From the 1860s, orphaned and destitute children had been sent to live in institutes and schools throughout Britain’s colonies. The schemes worked on the principle that by lifting children out of poverty and into new lives,

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g n Molo to

they would settle, prosper and populate Britain’s developing dominions and in turn become more useful citizens of the empire.

This principle was at the heart of the Fairbridge Society. One of many charitable associations involved in child migration, the Fairbridge Farm Schools scheme was the brainchild of South Africa-born Rhodes scholar Kingsley Ogilvie Fairbridge (1885–1924).

During his late childhood, Fairbridge had moved between Britain and Rhodesia where he was exposed to both the overcrowded slums of England and the vast, uncultivated lands of southern Africa. In child migration he saw a solution to both and as early as 1908 he began planning for a series of self-sufficient farm schools throughout the empire. The schools Above The passenger liner Aorangi in Sydney, c.1930.

ANMM Collection Gift from the Estate of Peter Britz.

Opposite, from top Four of the children who formed the first group sent to Fairbridge Farm School Molong in 1938; The first post-war group of children to be sent to Molong arrived in November 1947 on board the Ormonde; Lunchtime at Molong. Children sat in their cottage groups with Cottage Mothers at the head. All courtesy Molong Historical Society; Child migrants picking peas at Molong. Courtesy National Archives of Australia.

Illustration Rohana Archer

From

would provide England’s impoverished youth with a home, an education and a vocation.

Kingsley Fairbridge opened the first Fairbridge Farm School in Pinjarra, Western Australia in 1912.

Sadly, ill health took its toll on Fairbridge and he died at the age of 39 in 1924. However, the Fairbridge Society continued to expand in the shadow of his legacy and several more schools were opened in the following decade in Australia as well as Canada and Zimbabwe. In 1938 the first children arrived at Molong. Between these early beginnings and the school’s closure in 1974, around 1,000 children passed through the Molong Fairbridge Farm School.

Molong followed the traditional Fairbridge structure of appointing a school principal and organising the children into cottages. Each cottage accommodated around 15 children, segregated by sex, and was ruled over by a Cottage Mother. This system was intended to provide a sense of family to the children, a system whose success relied heavily on the qualities of the Cottage Mother herself.

Many children found themselves unprepared for the harshness of life on the farm schools. The food was plain and repetitive and often stale and full of weevils. The school relied on child labour in order to remain self-sufficient and the children worked long and hard hours around the farm, which had its own dairy, poultry yard, slaughterhouse and bakery.

Children of primary-school age attended the public school in Molong, while the older children travelled to a high school in Orange.

Most of the children left school at the age of 15 to become one of the farm’s ‘trainees’. For two years they worked to a roster, rotating through different jobs on the farm with the intention of attaining specialised training in preparation for the boys to become farmers and the girls to be farmers’ wives.

In 1951, at the age of 17, Peter Bennett found himself at the end of his schooling, and “breaking out in hives” at the thought of leaving Fairbridge. Peter later worked as a motor mechanic and trained as an aircraft engineer with Qantas, however, as with many of his contemporaries, he initially experienced great difficulty adapting to life outside of the school.

As early as the 1950s, it was becoming apparent that children leaving farm school systems were often illiterate and that their rural training provided them with little employment opportunities other than low-paid farm labouring or domestic work. Despite the honourable intentions of Fairbridge Farm School and similar schemes, the system, it appeared, was incredibly flawed. Aside from educational failings, many children also reported experiencing physical and sexual abuse during their time at Fairbridge. 

travel

Wish you were here The wondrous and occasionally off-beat history of Western Australia is little known outside its vast borders. Richard Offen, executive director of Heritage Perth, takes us for a whirlwind tour through its historic gems.

W

HEN I arrived in Western Australia 11 years ago, I was told quite categorically that pretty much every heritage building in Perth had been demolished during the post World War II gold booms and that the place had nothing as old as the UK. I very soon discovered that nothing could be further from the truth!

Archaeologists tell us that Sahul, the prehistoric name for the Australian continent, was settled around 40,000 years ago. Some palaeontologists have suggested the date could be up to 20,000 years earlier than this. From the first footfall of humans, Indigenous Australians moved southward and eastward across the continent and were well established throughout Western Australia by the time Europeans first visited in the early 17th century.

It was the trade in spices and other goods from the East Indies that were much sought after by European merchants, which precipitated the first visits by dwellers from the northern hemisphere. Initially, they followed a route via the Atlantic Ocean to Africa’s southern tip at the Cape of Good Hope, from where most of the early vessels travelled directly northeast towards the Indies. However in 1611, seafarers found that by heading east from the Cape, they were driven by the strong westerly ‘Roaring Forties’ winds, which carried them across the Indian Ocean to within sight of the coast of Western Australia. Once this landmass was sighted, the ships would make a sharp left turn and head north towards Indonesia.

While this new route gave a much faster voyage time, it was all too easy to misjudge exactly when to alter the course northward, with the result that many vessels found themselves in fatal difficulties.

One such vessel was the Zuytdorp. This 700ton trading ship of the Dutch East India Company was dispatched on 1 August 1711 from Zeeland, bound for 

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Clockwise from top left Panorama of the Swan River Settlement (detail), c.1832

by Jane Eliza Currie. The Round House can be seen in the centre. Courtesy State Library of NSW; Zuytdorp Cliffs; Patrick Taylor Cottage, dating back to c.1832; Historic Fremantle Gaol; Inside the Gaol; Old Farm in Albany, which has been under cultivation since 1827.

Opposite Port Lincoln Parrots by Philippa Nikulinsky. Courtesy Philippa Nikulinsky, www.nikulinsky.com.au

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This photo is of my great uncle Bill, Lance Corporal William James Chung. A POW during World War II in Ambon, Indonesia with the 2/21 Gull Force, Bill died of illness about a week before his Force was evacuated from Ambon on 10 September 1945. He was well known as a lovely, gentle-natured man, of great integrity, popular, and a good friend to all. A condolence letter written to Bill’s wife from his Major states, ‘You may rest assured that he did his duty to the end and I never heard him complain.’ When I look at this photo, no other words really need to be said.

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