In 2022 I visited relatives in Australia. On this journey I met my aunt Daphne who was married to my uncle Norm who was my Mom’s brother. She never met her brother and we only found who he was through research. Sadly Norm had died in the 80’s and so had their other brother Jim. Both boys had been sent to Australia in 1949 with the Fairbridge Society which sent underprivileged children and children living in homes from England to farm schools across Australia. Norm and Jim were sent to Fairbridge Farm School in Molong and do not let the term school fool you, this was a place of work, little education and widespread abuse both physical and mental. They were shown little love and were forced to work hard or face a beating from as young as the age of 4. All sponsored by the UK government.
My aunt showed us around the site, now overgrown and forgotten but remains of the buildings that once stood and the cottages that housed the children still remain but for how much longer who knows. Daphne’s insights as we walk around are fascinating as we learn more about my uncles and her experiences here.