What is happening during the off season with the Farina Restoration Group?
We trust all our valued past volunteers are refreshed and looking forward to our 11th annual work program and that those of you who are coming for the first time are looking forward, with increasing interest, to becoming part of the Farina story.
Presently, Tom Bob and Cathie are active in receiving and responding to registrations.
It is necessary to balance skills and capabilities across all weeks. We have an eight week program which is implemented by 4 separate teams. There are approximately 40 volunteers on site at any one time to handle the range of tasks required to run a small independent community while completing volunteer tasks in the Farina township. This allows for time off on request.
There is equal challenge and excitement across all weeks of the program.
At present weeks 1, 2 and 4 are fully staffed. Weeks 3, 5, 6, 7and 8 are available for 1 and 2 week bids with scope for the full ambit of opportunity in all weeks.
Farina volunteers may have particular skills but their greatest asset is often being an opportunist and trying something new.
Patterson’s House will have active groups installing flooring and lining, doing electrical and plumbing work and the kitchen fitout during the whole 8 week program.
We have participated in Caravan shows in Melbourne and Adelaide during February. The consistent stories from the volunteer staff at each location is that more and more people know of, and are enthusiastic about, our work at Farina.
Two teams are at work developing interesting new merchandise. For example, a Farina carry bag for bakery goods and a smartly labelled labelled cutting board. As usual Ernie Sharman and Trevor Cross are continuing to monitor and increase our base stocklines.
Laurie Gray and our newly appointed contract lead baker, Kerry Storer (a previous volunteer) have advanced planning in place to ensure an efficient start up and follow on for the bakery.
Peter Russell and Ron Johnston have assessed stonework priorities. There is an important 8 week program of repair, pointing and wall capping ahead, to assist preservation of our precious sandstone relics.
Administratively, Bob Brownlee is doing battle with our auditor to satisfy trading and other legal requirements. Steve Harding is engrossed in meeting grant requirements for Patterson’s house, stage 2. This involves both the planning requirement and organizing material on site to enable a smooth start to the internal fit out which we hope to have completed in July.
Drought conditions are extreme in this area of South Australia. Kevin and Anne Dawes are silently suffering due to this lack of rain. We are thinking of them.
As a result, volunteers will need to supply their own drinking water. Stocks can be replenished at the Leigh Creek supermarket. Showers and toilets at Farina are connected to bore water.
We are expecting plenty of visitors this year as many travelers head up to Lake Eyre to see the water.
Newsletters will give updates with any changes.
We will continue the challenge of presenting Farina as it was across the period from 1875 to 1975. As a working group we are well placed to continue this recovery and maintenance program into the future.
We invite your continuing support
Farina Restoration Group Committee to launch “HISTORY PROJECT”.
We are pleased to advise that following our conference and steering groups input, we are now launching the “Farina History Project”, this is a new project to capture our “Social and Family History” from the establishment of the township to latter day.
We hope to capture family group timelines, with family trees, social history ie what we did in the past, Images that are available, diaries, wage books and newspapers etc that all put detail into Farina life as it was around the “Railway, Town ship, Cemetery and World Wars 1 & 2”.
Our target over the next 14 months is to collect as much information as we are able to for the “Official” opening of our Museum in 2020.
We encourage you all to either bring a copy of your records with you to Farina this year or contact us via our web page https://farinarestoration.com/contact-us/steve-harding-committee-liaison/ or any other committee member to arrange delivery/collection.
We are being assisted in this project by Genealogy SA and History Trust SA and our main researchers will be Ms Jennie Sach and Mr Bob Moffatt who both have links with Farina.
We will also be calling on some of the main Farina family members, still in contact, to supply as much of their shared history as possible.
This year for the first time we will be also be making “Audio Sound Recordings” on site, to capture your own personal story details from your time living in Farina, all with the final goal in mind to have as much information as we can gather for electronic media display within the gallery space and finally on the web.
So friends of Farina please talk to your family members, unlock the cupboard doors and suitcases that may release your story and send them in. Now is the time!
On behalf of the committee Steve Harding.