Farina Restoration Group (FRG)

First Works Programme

In April 2009 30 volunteers from various regions of Victoria started the restoration of Farina, 26 kms north of Lyndhurst which was established in 1874. Tom Harding had a group of tourists on one of his Tag along Tours in May 2008 when the group decided to volunteer their services and time to the restoration and 30 people attended the first 14 day work program in may 2009. Click here to see photos of the collection plate from the Tagalong Tour in 2008.

The work was assisted by a professional stonemason and they identified signed and fenced 24 significant features of the township.

The volunteer workers were involved with stabilising the remaining ruins, labelling buildings, building and information bay for tourists passing through and marking the streets. A historian held a workshop to recount the towns past and help keep its spirit alive and several descendants of Farina also visited over the fortnight.

Since 2009 the FRG Volunteers and Stonemasons have restored the Bread Oven and volunteer bakers produce bread, pies and other bakery items for sale to the public during the annual works program from May until July. In 2018 and 2019 the Patterson House was constructed to provide a permanent home for the bakers, Cafe and provide a space to exhibit the history of Farina. It is also planned to provide a venue to run school camps so that students can undertake activities to investigate the history of Farina.

The FRG committee are currently planning some restoration works around the railway precinct, and subject to obtaining grants, plan to construct an engine shed on the alignment of the narrow guage line to house an engine and carriage to showcase the narrow guage railway.

The FRG history team are also working hard to research the people of Farina, including the wartime servicemen, and upload all the information to this website to enable to pubic to read about the people that made Farina.

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