Recent Photos of Fairbridge Village
| Number | Description |
| VRAIR01 | Airstrip. A very familiar scene for anyone driving into Fairbridge. The 'S' bends have been mostly ironed out of the road but the airstrip remains. The line of the hills looks great in the background. Wonder how long it's been since a plane landed here? |
| VRAMP01 | Amphitheatre. This is the amphitheatre that is located between the school and the oval. 2006 |
| VRBAR01 | Barbara Rowley Centre. This centre is located behind Saumarez. This is a view from the front. This is a purpose built type of convention centre and it is named after Kingsley and Ruby Fairbridge's elder daughter. 2006 |
| VRBAR02 | Barbara Rowley Centre. This side view is from the north. 2006 |
| VRBAR03 | Barbara Rowley Centre. This rear view is taken from the east (towards the hills) 2006 |
| VRBEL01 | Belfast cottage looking quite resplendent! 2005. |
| VRBEL02 | Belfast. From the rear. Behind is the track to the river. 2005 |
| VRBEL03 | Belfast. Inside the cottage. This is in the lounge room. Look at the dark wood which features throughout the cottage, and the stone surrounds to the fireplace. In the old days a wood fire would have burnt here. 2006 |
| VRBEL04 | Belfast. Inside the cottage. This is the kitchen. The old one would have been in the same location though these days they are equipped with many modern conveniences for those staying here. Perhaps the wooden benches are original. Very nice outlook from the windows and a nice "feel" to the room. 2006 |
| VRBEL05 | Belfast. Inside the cottage. This is upstairs and is a small bedroom on the western (Dining Room) end of the building. Note again the original dark wooden ceiling and the sloping roof. 2006 |
| VRBEL06 | Belfast. Inside the cottage. Still upstairs, this is another small bedroom at the eastern (Club House) end of the building. The ceiling in the bedroom follows the roof-line outside. Very quaint. 2006 |
| VRBEL07 | Belfast. Inside the cottage. Coming back down the stairs. Still all the dark wood. The stairs are quite steep. Inside the cottage it's all in beautiful condition. Not in a position to comment on overall structural changes and additions as this was a girl's cottage so it's the first time I've been in there! 2006. |
| VRBTR01 | Bell Tower. View from the Church bell tower taking in the road bend in front of Fairbridge House. The swimming pool in front of the Club House can be seen. 2005 |
| VRBUS01 | Bus Shed. This shed is where the old Fairbridge bus used to go to bed each night. Today an old truck, a couple of antique tractors and various pump bits occupy the premises. A fossicker's delight! 2005 |
| VRBUT01 | Butcher's Shop. It says "Laundry" on the sign but in fact this is the old butcher's shop situated behind and between the Store and the Main Dining Room. 2005. |
| VRCEM01 | Cemetery. The Fairbridge cemetery is located a couple of kilometres past the farm and beyond the second gravel pit. Containing some 25 graves, this is a very secluded and peaceful resting place for those here. This is a view from near the gate. 2005 |
| VECEM02 | Cemetery. Again at the cemetery, a view along the resting places. Another row is to the right of the photo. 2005 |
| VRCHU01 | Church. Undoubtedly the most famous icon of Fairbridge is the church. Here it is in all its glory. |
| VRCHU02 | Church. A view not often seen by the causal visitor (particularly if you don't get out of your car). This is the back of the church which features that spectacular curve behind which is the church altar. The church was built to last a long time and so it will. 2005 |
| VRCHU03 | Church. Inside the church looking towards the "front" (not sure of the ecclesiastic term). The plastic chairs are a modern addition! 2005. |
| VRCHU04 | Church. A part of this photo might ring a bell for some of the older boys who were roped in! Inside the church looking at the steep steps up the bell tower, and the organ pipes. 2005. |
| VRCHU05 | Church. Take a trip upwards from above photo VRCHU04 and after climbing 3 very steep flights of wooden stairs you'll have to negotiate this ladder before you can claim fame of standing on the platform at the top of the Bell Tower. 2005 |
| VRCLI01 | Clive cottage after what looks like extensive renovations. 2003. |
| VRCLU01 | Club House. Back of the Club House. The Club House is the focal point of OFA get-togethers these days. It also housed the OFA museum up until July 2005 and one day will do again. 2005 |
| VRCLU02 | Club House. The Old Fairbridgians' Club House entrance. Not a very flattering photo. I'll re-take this one later. 2005. |
| VRCLU03 | Club House. Rear view during renovations. 2006 |
| VRCLU04 | Club House. The front doors during renovations. They'll look a lot better after renovations are completed, especially after a lick of paint. 2006. |
| VRCOO01 | Cook. This is Cook cottage. Nice new-looking roof and brown paint. This cottage was green at one time perhaps? Or perhaps not. The renowned Heslington bantam pens have gone! 2005. |
| VRCOO02 | Cook. Looking towards the "small-verandah" side of Cook cottage. 2005 |
| VRDAI01 | Dairy. Alas the Dairy is somewhat run down. No walking up there in bare feet on a freezing cold morning in the dark for billies of milk (with an inch of cream on top) any more. 2003 |
| VRDAR01 | Darwin cottage, situated between Lawley and Hudson. Home of famed cottage mother "Middy" in the late 1950's & early 1960's. Now green, I feel sure it used to be blue! 2005. |
| VRDIN01 | Dining Room. The Dining Room also looks pretty much the same as it always did. Wonder if the food tastes the same? 2003. |
| VRDIN02 | Dining Room. Back of the Main Dining Room. Ok, they're only toilets but they were carefully cleaned by all those task boys many years ago. The grease traps have now gone and the old coke shed has been replaced by another building. 2005. |
| VRELI01 | Elizabeth. The new caretaker's cottage completed in 2006. Named after Kingsley and Ruby's second daughter. The building is located behind Exeter. 2006 |
| VRENG01 | Engineering. The workshops where they hammered, wired, spannered, planed, CRC'd and screw-drove! Anything from Metters wood stoves to a tractor engine they built or fixed. Now, next to this is a cute farm - great for kids, where geese honk louder than the old Fairbridge bus. 2005. |
| VREVE01 | Evelyn cottage undergoing what seems to be major roof renovations. Very similar in design to neighbouring Saumarez, both of which are main road icons. This was the home of the matron who was, in the late 1950's & early 1960's, Mrs Bettina Fry. 2005. |
| VREXE01 | Exeter. In the old days this was the Farm Manager's House. Situated across the road from the store, the building has undergone renovations (and alas, a fire) and an extension has been built off to the right, plus now there is a coffee shop for hungry visitors at the rear. 2005. |
| VREXE02 | Exeter. This is in the extension behind Exeter and a fabulous place to drop in for a coffee on a visit to Fairbridge. Not only is the coffee good, the staff are exceptional and you can also buy a range of merchandise including the OFA booklet, John Lane's video and book (and others), souvenir pens, maps or ostriches, or simply glimpse at old photos and press cuttings of Fairbridge! 2005 |
| VRFAI01 | Fairbridge House was purpose built as the home for Kingsley and Ruby Fairbridge. This has been the home of successive Farm Principal's throughout time. This photo is taken from the front. The door leads into the kitchen which is structurally separate (although linked) from the rest of this large beautiful house. 2006. |
| VRFAI02 | Fairbridge House. Similar view to above but this angle in more towards the Church. 2006 |
| VRFAI03 | Fairbridge House. Swing around to the right a little from the above photo and this is what you see. A truly magnificent structure. 2006 |
| VRFAI04 | Fairbridge House. This is a view of the rear of Fairbridge House. There is a picture of Kingsley Fairbridge taken back in the early 1920's elsewhere on this site that was taken under that pergola. 2006 |
| VRFAI05 | Fairbridge House. Inside the house. These photos simply don't do this wonderful building justice. This is the kitchen, that small section of the house nearest to the road. 2006 |
| VRFAI06 | Fairbridge House. Perhaps this was the lounge room in days gone by or maybe the dining room. It's well appointed, spacious and views through the window gaze beyond the pergola down towards the river. 2006 |
| VRFAI07 | Fairbridge House. Another large room on the ground floor. Perhaps this was the lounge or a secondary lounge . 2006 |
| VRFAI08 | Fairbridge House. The staircase leads to the wonders of the first floor. Way down the corridor is the kitchen. The end of the corridor forms a link between the main building and the kitchen section at the front. 2006 |
| VRFAI09 | Fairbridge House. Certainly this is the master bedroom today and judging by the size and the fittings it probably has been all along. Strange to think this was the bedroom of Kingsley Fairbridge and all the Principal's who followed him. 2006 |
| VRFAI10 | Fairbridge House. Another bedroom at the western (Dining Room end) of the top floor. The corner cupboard made of dark wood is typical of the well-crafted nooks and crannies throughout the building. 2006 |
| VRFAI11 | Fairbridge House. This is another bedroom upstairs well furnished for latter day visitors. I understand this was the bedroom used by Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother, when she visited Fairbridge in the 1960's. 2006 |
| VRFAR01 | Farm. On the farm, this is the barn that used to be full of bales of hay. Pigs and poultry were up there beyond. Today a couple of camels live here, languishing in an easy life but uneasily eying their neighbours - a couple of cheeky Ostriches. 2005. |
| VRFAR02 | Farm. Again on the farm, this building is across the road from the dairy in which the calves used to be fed. 2005. |
| VRFMC01 | Farm Manager's Cottage. Just next to the farm and a little south of the Barbara Rowley Centre. This is a fairly recent construction (1970's) which replaced another cottage on this site which was also occupied by farm personnel. 2006 |
| VRFOR01 | Forrest cottage. A boys' cottage both pre and post war. 2005. |
| VRFOR02 | Forrest. The is the "rear" view of Forrest with a glimpse of Lawley in the background. 2005 |
| VRGAM01 | Games Centre. The Games Centre with Middlemore off in the background. Photo is taken where the slide used to be. The tennis courts are still there but the old MMA aeroplane has gone off to the great hangar in the sky, so to speak. 2005. |
| VRGAR01 | Gardener's Cottage. "The Cottage" says its shingle and it aptly describes the market gardener's house. A small house with huge adjoining sheds (which are latter day add-ons). This house was occupied in the early 1960's by the Mihovilovich family. 2005 |
| VRGAR02 | Gardener's Cottage. A view from the rear of the Gardener's Cottage. 2006 |
| VRGLA01 | Glasgow cottage, just across the road from Nelson. 2005. |
| VRGLA02 | Glasgow. Inside the cottage. Picture of the lounge room including the fireplace. 2006 |
| VRGLA03 | Glasgow. Inside the cottage. Can you guess what this room was? A dormitory? No! This used to be the laundry. Right over there in the corner was the copper. The copper and chimney have long gone but now it's comfortable accommodation for those staying in Glasgow these days. 2006 |
| VRGLA04 | Glasgow. Cottage mother's quarters taken from the centre room - the lounge room - and looking towards the bedroom. 2006 |
| VRHEA01 | Headmaster's House near the school. After Fairbridge was closed, George Elliott moved in here as village caretaker. 2003. |
| VRHHS01 | Heath House. Viewed from the main road. Heath House has just completed extensive renovations and looks fabulous. 2005 |
| VRHHS02 | Heath House. A side view taken from the "Club House" side. 2005 |
| VRHHS03 | Heath House. Rear of Heath House across the lawns and taking in the rear view of Fairbridge House. 2005 |
| VRHIL01 | Hills. This is what I think was the old orchard. It's beyond the pump house (east of) and on the way to Happy Valley. Some old fruit trees appear to still exist along with all those wooden posts that may have been for vines or another fruit crop. 2006 |
| VRHIL02 | Hills. Happy Valley as it is today. Still nice and fresh and green but the old tin shed has gone along with many trees on the far bank of the creek (on the left). Most of the creek itself has gone too! 2006 |
| VRHIL03 | Hills. A view up above Happy Valley en route to Basin Pool. You can see the Mandurah Estuary in the background, and the Barbara Rowley Centre in the Fairbridge village standing out like a beacon. 2006 |
| VRHUD01 | Hudson. View from the "small verandah" side (the verandah is now enclosed). Nice green winter grass covering what used to be a well-raked gravel yard. The beloved gardens, the poplar trees, the loquat tree etc have all gone. 2006 |
| VRHUD02 | Hudson. View from the east side looking down the big verandah. 2006 |
| VRHUD03 | Hudson. A closer view of the big verandah. 2006 |
| VRHUD04 | Hudson. Looking into the kitchen from what was the small verandah. 2006 |
| VRHUD05 | Hudson. Looking into the lounge room from what was the small verandah. To the left of picture is the lounge fireplace. To the right was the long dining table. 2006 |
| VRHUD06 | Hudson. The fireplace around many a cheery evening was spent. Those cupboards had some games in them! Past the fireplace is the entrance to the cottage mother's quarters. 2006 |
| VRHUD07 | Hudson. The small dormitory. It hasn't changed much except it's now fully partitioned off from the big dormitory. The linen cupboard looks exactly as it did 40+ years ago. 2006 |
| VRJEN01 | Jenner cottage with a glimpse of another close by. These tiny cottages provided accommodation for some of the married staff in later years. Jenner was occupied by Bill Pettit (storekeeper) and his family in the early 1960's. In the old days 12 or so children lived here. 2005. |
| VRKFG01 | Kingsley's Grave. A little overgrown on this day. Located behind the Church down towards the pump house. 2006 |
| VRKFG02 | Kingsley's Grave. A close up of the memorial plaque. This is actually set on an angle on the stone. 2006 |
| VRKIT01 | Kitchener cottage looking along the big veranda, from the east side. 2005. |
| VRKIT02 | Kitchener again, putting on a much more photogenic profile from the other side. 2005. |
| VRKIT03 | Kitchener. Inside the cottage. This is the kitchen as seen as you walk in the door off the small verandah. The kitchen is virtually identical to all those in the other single storey cottages and pretty original except for the new fridge. Note the fireplace surrounds. In there used to be a Metters No.10 wood stove for cooking porridge etc. 2006 |
| VRKIT04 | Kitchener. Inside the cottage. In the lounge room. The fireplace was a cottage focal point during the winter months when big bright log fires would burn, warming and cheering the cottage. The door way on the right leads to the cottage mother's quarters. 2006 |
| VRKIT05 | Kitchener. Inside the cottage. The centre room of the cottage mother's three-room quarters. This part was generally used as a sitting room. To the front the bathroom. Behind the photographer's position was the bedroom. 2006 |
| VRKIT06 | Kitchener. Inside the cottage. This is part of what was the "big dormitory" That door leads out to the big verandah. The big dormitory is now divided into two smaller sleeping areas. The small dormitory (through the wall, right of picture) is also obviously separated. 2006 |
| VRKIT07 | Kitchener. Inside the cottage. This little room is totally unchanged and will bring back memories for the children who brought back the laundry and stacked the clean sheets and clothes upon the shelves. The room is just off the small dormitory. 2006 |
| VTKIT08 | Kitchener. This picture you can see in image VRKIT04 hanging above the fireplace. Not sure if it was there in the "old days" but nevertheless it add a nice touch. Note the artist's clever depiction of sunlight on the roof. Actually it's the camera flash reflection of a not-so-clever photographer! 2006 |
| VRLAU01 | Laundry. This is the old Laundry situated on the main road just before the final bend on the way to the farm. 2005 |
| VRLAW01 | Lawley cottage now blue but then green. The last cottage on the main road before you reach the Laundry. 2005. |
| VRLAW02 | Lawley. The "small-verandah" side of Lawley. It's looking very nice and someone is looking after the gardens! |
| VRLIS01 | Lister. One of three "tiny" cottages - this one, Jenner and Newton. Looking towards the front door, more or less opposite Forrest. 2006 |
| VRLIS02 | Lister. A more full view of Lister. In the background is Jenner. Beyond Jenner is the school. 2006 |
| VRLIV01 | Livingstone cottage. This cottage has had a mixed history, pre- and post-war it was a boys cottage and in the early 1960's it was an infants cottage and used to be surrounded by a decent fence to keep the little ones from wandering off! 2005. |
| VRMAN01 | Mandurah Camp Cottage. This building was apparently offered intact (more of less) from a benefactor. The cottage was one of the dormitories that used to be on the Mandurah Camp-site. This building is now located just behind the coffee shop adjacent to Exeter. 2005 |
| VRMAN02 | Mandurah Camp Cottage. The cottage from the other end. 2005 |
| VRMAN03 | Mandurah Camp Cottage. Inside the cottage. Who can remember sleeping in those wooden bunks? 2005 |
| VRMGA01 | Memorial Gates. Plaques on the Memorial Gates at the entrance to the townsite are dedicated to, and list the names of, Fairbridge people who lost their lives in World War 2 and other wars. 2005. |
| VRMGA02 | Memorial Gates. A full view of the Memorial Gates viewed from the west, as you enter the village. 2005. |
| VRMWA01 | Memorial Wall. To the left of the Church are the Memorial Gardens and Memorial Wall that have flower gardens, stones and plaques in memory of Old Fairbridgians and Fairbridge staff who have passed on. 2005 |
| VRMID01 | Middlemore. Rather nice picture of Middlemore. This is close to Kitchener and in the early 1960's was the residence of the House Master. Before that it housed older girls. 2005. |
| VRMID02 | Middlemore. A view from the northern side (closest to the Church etc). 2006. |
| VRMUS01 | Museum. Visitors take in the history in the museum. The Museum is in the Clubhouse. A popular attraction is the photo albums on the table. 2005 |
| VRMUS02 | Museum. The sports trophies are proudly displayed in this cabinet. Sitting alongside is someone's faithful suitcase complete with destination sticker. 2005 |
| VRMUS03 | Museum. To everyone ever at Fairbridge this was a familiar landmark at the top of Fairbridge Road, on the South Western Highway. 2005 |
| VRMUS04 | Museum. A collection of girls' uniforms through the ages, all retaining the distinctive brown and yellow. 2005 |
| VRMUS05 | Museum. The old post office sign from the days when Fairbridge had its own post code! Shhh, not really - it's the same as Pinjarra, but we were listed in the postcode book! The sign sits on top of a cabinet housing of part of the museum library. 2005 |
| VRMUS06 | Museum. Here's the Post Office sign in all its glory, topping off a fine bookcase! 2005 |
| VRNEL01 | Nelson cottage. Now, I'm almost sure this used to be green! 2005 |
| VRNEL02 | Nelson. This is a view from the "small-verandah" side, looking from the west on a sunny but showery December afternoon. 2005 |
| VRNEW01 | Newton. Newton is one of the three "tiny" cottages and it's located just across the road (west) of Darwin. 2006 |
| VRNIG01 | Nightingale was the village hospital. This view takes in the left side of the building and in that room was a 4-bed ward for boys. To the right (and out of the picture) was the same for girls. Alas this building is rather run-down right now but happily is on the agenda for a major facelift. 2005. |
| VRNIG02 | Nightingale. Looking at Nightingale's northern aspect. At this time extensive renovations were occurring inside. 2006 |
| VROFF01 | Office. This is the Office opposite the Main Dining Room. The red and white Fairbridge 6208 post office sign used to hang here, plus it was the place to go to withdraw sixpence from your trust account. 2005. |
| VROVA01 | Oval. The football oval viewed from close to the back of Scratton. You can see the primary school over there behind the goal posts. Those trees have not changed, particularly that one on the extreme right. 2005. |
| VROVA02 | Oval. The school is behind us. Featuring an old tree that probably pre-dates Kingsley himself, this is a view looking over towards Exeter. Beyond Exeter is the Store. |
| VROXF01 | Oxford was originally built as the dairyman's house and is situated behind Saumarez and Evelyn (towards the hills). Great looking building which looks like it has been recently renovated. 2005. |
| VRPAD01 | Paddocks. Looking behind the Pump House, this picture is a view across the paddocks towards the hills. This is horse country now. 2005 |
| VRPAD02 | Paddocks. Here is a view from the old Gardener's Cottage front verandah (sheltering from the rain) looking down towards the pump house on a wet and windy July day. 2007. |
| VRPUM01 | Pump House. This is the Pumping Station down across the paddock behind the Church and near where the market gardens used to be. Some new piping suggests this might still be in use but we didn't hear any machinery running. Scheme water has, in fact, been added to Fairbridge and the pump for this is beyond the second gravel pit. 2005 |
| VRRAL01 | Raleigh cottage viewing the laundry steps (a popular places for photos) and the small veranda which has since been enclosed. 2005. |
| VRRHO01 | Rhodes cottage. Pre and post-war cottage for boys. On occasions was vacant. 2005. |
| VRROA01 | Roads - Harvey Road. This road runs parallel to, and to the west of, the main bitumen road between the Church and almost to the Laundry. This view is looking from the north. On the left front is where Warren Hastings used to be. Behind that is Clive. On the right the first cottage you can see is Middlemore. |
| VRROA02 | Roads - Harvey Road. Looking from the other end (Forrest is just behind me). On the right is Darwin, then Hudson and Raleigh, and on the left is where Haig used to be, then Livingstone. 2005 |
| VRROA03 | Roads. This is the road running from the bitumen road down past Wolfe on the left and Shakespeare on the right. 2007. |
| VRROA04 | Roads. On the main road again more or less outside Wolfe and looking towards Fairbridge House. All that lovely winter rain on the road! 2007. |
| VRROA05 | Roads. Walking back from the Dairy towards the Laundry. Nice to see some rain and puddles to splash around in. Careful with that Billy! 2007 |
| VRROS01 | Rosa Nobes. This is a "small verandah" view of the replica cottage being built behind Exeter. 2007 |
| VRROS02 | Rosa Nobes. Another view as above. The timber decking on the floor leads to the entrance of the old Mandurah Camp bunk-house. 2007 |
| VRSAU01 | Saumarez cottage looking fabulous. This is across the main road from Hudson/Darwin, and to the right of Evelyn. 2005. |
| VRSCH01 | School. Primary school. This was the room for grades 6+7 and therefore the Headmaster's room. 2003. |
| VRSCH02 | School. Not the most elegant building in the world but this is one of the primary school toilets. There used to be two but now only one. This one was for the girls'. Still in use and, I might add, very clean. 2005 |
| VRSCH03 | School. This was used (in the early 1960's) as the library. |
| VRSCRA1 | Scratton viewed from the rear, over near Cook. A nice winter view with plenty of green grass. 2005. |
| VRSCR02 | Scratton. The back of Scratton. Think these rooms were for senior girls and perhaps single female staff members. 2005. |
| VRSCR03 | Scratton. Such a well known building with its prominent clock tower. The front of Scratton. 2006 |
| VRSCR04 | Scratton. Much the same view as above - the front of Scratton - but this time a little closer. 2006 |
| VRSCR05 | Scratton. If you walk in the main door and turn right, this is the corridor that runs west - down towards the football oval. Off the corridor on either side are the small rooms that were used by the trainee boys in the old days and later by single female staff and visiting Old-Fairbridgian girls. 2006 |
| VRSCR06 | Scratton. This is one of the rooms off the western corridor. This room is on the northern side (towards the Games Centre). Rather well-appointed with a "sleep-out" area, albeit still small. The rooms on the southern side had no sleep-out. 2006, |
| VRSCR07 | Scratton. Probably a common room area in Scratton. 2006 |
| VRSCR08 | Scratton. This is the kitchen. Quite bright and airy. If you look through the window you could no doubt see the school. 2006 |
| VRSHA01 | Shakespeare looking absolutely resplendent in 1982. Perhaps a recent coat of paint? |
| VRSTA01 | Staff Kitchen. The staff kitchen close to Scratton and the football oval. 2005. |
| VRSTA02 | Staff Kitchen. A view from a different angle. 2006 |
| VRSTO01 | Store. The General Store hasn't changed very much over the years. 2003. |
| VRSWI01 | Swimming. South Dandalup River where the swimming pool used to be. In this view you can see the remains of what was the wooden bridge that crossed the river under which were the chocks that effectively dammed the river and kept the swimming pool water level high. 2005 |
| VRWOL01 | Wolfe - the back of the cottage and doesn't it look great! Note the fire escape from the upper floor, a later addition (perhaps after the demise of Warren Hastings?). 2005. |
| VRWOL02 | Wolfe - rather nice view from the main road. I must have a colour fixation. I'm sure this used to be white or cream! 2005. |
A History of Fairbridge Farm School, Pinjarra, Western Australia
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