Our history
At the age of 17, Kingsley Fairbridge visited his Grandmother in England and was distressed by the sight of poor children, grubby and exhausted from lack of fresh air and food.
At the age of 19, Fairbridge became the first Rhodes Scholar from South Africa to attend Oxford University.
In 1909, he established ‘The Child Emigration Society’ after addressing his fellow Rhodes Scholars at the Colonial Club, Oxford University.
On April 15, 1912, Kingsley and his wife, Ruby, arrived in Albany, Western Australia. They arrived in Pinjarra on July 16 of the same year and established the world’s first Fairbridge Farm School.
Who came?
Between 1913 and 1939, 1195 children came to Fairbridge under the care of the Fairbridge Society.
From 1949 until mid-1950, some 270 young people arrived at Fairbridge under the care of the State.
During the 1960s, many more boys and girls went through the Farm School under the single and two parent scheme. However, these young people were not under the care of the State or Fairbridge, but remained the responsibility of their parents.
The total number of children to come to Fairbridge under all schemes from January 1913 until March 1983 was 3580.
During World War II
Guildford Grammar School students came to Fairbridge during World War II when their school was used as a military hospital.
Dutch children who had been trapped after the fall of the Dutch East Indies during World War II also stayed at Fairbridge.
During World War II the Women’s Land Army used Fairbridge as a training Depot.
More information on the famous heritage-listed Fairbridge Chapel.