No. 17 – June 2012… Toms message.
Twenty-one days of blue skies and sunshine (in May) provided a great backdrop for our 2012 work program at Farina.
Seventy-five Caravanners/Campers/Volunteers, two professional stonemasons and Leigh Creek Area School work experience students contributed 5,296 Volunteer hours to our stage four work program at Farina form April 22nd to May 14th 2012.
The special component to this years’ program as the ANZAC Dawn Service at our War Memorial honouring the Farina Service Men and Women who defended our Commonwealth in the two World Wars.
It was a very moving occasion with distinguished contributions both at the War Memorial and the Bakery Gunfire Breakfast, which followed.
In the three preceding days, the Farina Golf Course and tennis Courts were restored to excellent playing conditions, and tournaments were played as in earlier years thus restoring some of the early Farina traditions.
The Bakery and Historic Bakery café were again fully operational, to the gourmet delight of tourists and volunteers alike.
The 2012 Results.
Gardening and maintenance teams gave detailed care and attention to the War Memorial Precinct, the Cemetery (which is looking the way a Cemetery should), and the town buildings.
Our catering groups again contributed strongly to group morale, serving morning teas lunch and weekly camp oven roasts.
The Information Centre was very efficiently staffed with a wider range of Farina merchandise.
The presence of volunteers in the Information Centre and the Bakery café is very important to the Farina Restoration Group. The committee think it would be sensible to combine these functions in the future.
Our fund raising activities through these groups and the Farina Fun day generated over $13,000: an excellent and necessary resource for our program.
The major construction components of the 2012 program were: –
Stabilisation and reconstruction of the Moffat House. Our stonemasons and volunteers have over the past two years programs converted a dangerous leaning structure and heaps of stones into a representation of a special domestic dwelling of the early 1800/1900 period: a quite remarkable achievement.
The rail two level sheep loading ramp and yard was reconstructed. This century old timber ramp was 90% destroyed and in bad repair, and now stands proudly awaiting the arrival of a two level sheep transporter rail carriage from the Pichi Richi group at Quorn to be placed in the loading position. A culvert crossing approach to the loading ramp, which was non-existent, has also been rebuilt. These projects reflect great credit on the shills of our group.
The Early Settlement Area consisting of the Gums Waterhole of the 1850 to 1870’s is being brought to life by identifying and describing the early sites. Early surveys highlight the struggle to provide water for stock, people and the rail system. In this area three pergola-mounted storyboards have been erected describing the role of the two wells, their pumping systems, and the (failed) Artesian bore. A one kilometre-walking trail is now in place, including trail markers, telling the amazing story of skill and endeavour used to provide water through the early years. Future work in this area will extend the walk to the creek; this will complete a very special part of the Farina Story.
Again in 2012 we were able to host schoolwork experience students and both give them experience in a series of skill areas and experience the pleasure of working with the older generation.
The final Saturday again was a highly successful district festivity with cricket match and a social get together. The Lyndhurst Progress Association catered for the evening meal and it was a pleasure to catch up with that group again. Kevin and Anne again did a fantastic job in facilitating the day and preparing the cricket trophies.
The 2013 Program. The outcomes of the 2012 Program at Farina again are a credit to all who shared in it. The Farina Story becomes more complete with each activity. A change in style of our program will need to progressively occur as the Precincts become more complete in the future. They will soon need only maintenance rather than development, carried out by smaller groups but spread over-say- 6 weeks, to give exposure to an increasing number of both volunteers and tourists.
Specific construction, stabilisation, and similar tasks would be allotted to teams for nominated weeks. More emphasis will be placed on the Bakery and Reception; these would operate across the whole period. We feel we should nominate 14 days as the longest continuous work exposure for us “oldies”. There would more be scope do split weeks with the extended program.
The Shearers Quarters are not available early as in 2012, as Easter and shearing are will be late April. With smaller Groups it is likely that we make a section of the Camp Ground our main base.
We will develop a program Outline for 2013 ASAP to assist in your planning. We have built a base for this ””Farina Experience” “ It has a real future, given that we nurture it carefully.
Regards to all Tom