MIGRATION SCHEME

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVI, Issue 100, 27 March 1936, Page 2

MIGRATION SCHEME

FAIRBRIDGE FARM SCHOOLS. VISIT BY SECRETARY. Secretary of the Fairbridge Farm Schools organisation, which contemplates the establishment of one of its institutions in New Zealand if sufficient encouragement is offered, Mr Gordon Green, of England, made a thorough inspection yesterday of the Boys’ Flock House estate near Bulls, being very much impressed with the property, which he described in high terms of praise. He commented that there was room for at least one Fairbridge Farm School in every State within the Empire, and it was the duty of the council in London to take advantage, in the immediate future, of opportunities which might offer for the establishment of the two farm schools to which they were already pledged. It was felt strongly in England that, if adequate inducements were offering, one of the institutions should be established in New Zealand. Explaining the nature of the organisation which he represented Mr Green stated that in 1934, King Edward, who was the Prince of Wales had agreed to launch an appeal on behalf of the Fairbridge Scheme with the view of establishing three more farm schools on the model of the Kingsley Farm School in Western Australia. That school was named after the founder of the socioety. The first fruits of the appeal could already be seen in the establishment of the Prince of Wales Farm School on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, where 1000 acres of first-class land near Cowichan Lake, regarded as one of the most beautiful spots in Canada, had been secured. The first party of 42 English boys and girls left Liverj>ool last September for this farm school, and had created a most favourable impression amongst Canadians who had seen them. Mr Green had to reach Vancouver Island as early as possible _to begin the planning of its extension for parties of children from the United Kingdom due to arrive there next August and October. Mr Green arrived in Western Australia in mid-February and there inspected proposals for renewals and additions to the equipment of the farm, which has been in successful operation since 1912. Since the war it had increased from a compnratibely small establishmenv 'f 70 children to a complete colony of 450. In Victoria he conferred with the Northcote Trustees, the executive body in Australia operating a bequest of some £200,000 left by the late Lady Northcote in 1934 for child immigration and settlement in Australia. They had decided to establish a farm school in Victoria on the lines of the Kingsley Farm Schol in oWestern Australia. This in itself was more than sufficient testimony to the success of the scheme as founded by the late Kingsley hairbridge and 49 other Rhodes scholars r.C Oxford in 1909. Mr Green had gone on to Syrfnej and there saw the members of the Rhodes Fellowship and discussed with theni a proposal for the establishment of a Fairbridge Farm School in New South Wales. Those men were backed by some of the most influential citizens of New South Wales and it was not at all improbable that a farm school would be in operation in the northern half of that State, and again on the model of the Western Australian one.