Centenary of S.A.'s British Farm Apprentices Designed by Rachel Harris, Bit Scibbly Design Printed by Kwik Kopy Norwood Funded by the Barwell Boys and Little Brothers Family and Friends Association and grants from Multicultural SA and The Historical Society of South Australia Inc. Top: Families of the Barwell Boys at the opening of the Barwell Boys exhibition at the South Australian Migration Museum, June 2013 Centre and bottom: Displays from the exhibition Cover photograph courtesy of History SA Glass Negatives Collection THE BARWELL BOYS Centenary of S.A.'s British Farm Apprentices The idea behind this Centenary Exhibition The exhibition was held at the South Australian was conceived at one of Don Best’s Barwell Migration Museum, Adelaide and ran from June lunches in 2011. Elspeth Grant, a historian 2013 to August 2013. whose great grandfather Lewis Grant arrived It was opened 15 June by The Hon. G.E. Gago, in SA in 1914 on the Orsova, suggested we Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, honour the many farm apprentices who came Mr James Bruce, AM, JP, Honorary British Consul to SA from 1913-1928, with an Exhibition at and Dr Uncle Lewis O’Brien, Kaurna Elder and the Migration Museum. son of a Barwell boy. Minister Gago expressed delight in attending Delighted by the suggestion a Committee was the opening event and acknowledged the formed, made up of the sons and daughters contribution the boys made. She spoke of South of Farm apprentices, who set to work with Australia prospering because of the daring and enthusiasm. The date was set for June 2013 and determination of these young pioneers and the purpose was to honour the contribution their decision to travel to the other side of the made to South Australia by these young boys, world, to try something new, to learn, and to some only fourteen years of age. Many stories, contribute to our ongoing great agricultural and both positive and negative, emerged in the primary industries and the profound effect it has course of our research and many new descendants had on this state. were discovered. The boys faced many challenges – heat, drought, homesickness, isolation and The exhibition was also on display at the Royal occasionally less than friendly farmers. However Adelaide Show and several country shows in many seemed to develop the strength and spirit areas where the boys worked. to survive whatever the new life threw at them – boys, we salute you all. 1. GOOD BRITISH STOCK " Courtesy History SA Glass Negatives Collection GN07504 Courtesy Eddy Steele, BBM Ltd Early in the 20th century thousands of migrants After the First World War (1914 –18), the Premier came to Australia to seek a healthy and of South Australia, Henry Barwell, visited Britain prosperous new life. Most of them were from and re-launched the scheme. The boys who the United Kingdom, in line with Australia’s subsequently migrated over the next three years “White Australia” policy of the time. became known as the “Barwell Boys”. ‘The ideal aimed at is the replacement of the In 1913 the South Australian Government started 6,000 South Australian soldiers who were killed a youth migration scheme to help meet the in the war … “The scheme, in a word,” says Mr state’s demand for agricultural labourers. British Barwell “is an instalment of practical Imperial boys aged 14 and over were invited to become reciprocity”.' apprentices on SA’s farms: London Times, 4 March 1922 ‘The great questions for boys to ask themselves After a brief break, the scheme resumed for are: a third and final time in 1927. This time it . What is my future in my present job, and borrowed an idea from the “Big Brother” youth . What shall I be doing and how much shall I be migration scheme operating interstate. Boys earning when I am 45 or 50? were paired up with a mentor and consequently were known as the “Little Brothers”. If the answer is quite satisfactory and certain, they can well stop here. In total over 1,750 British boys migrated here as farm apprentices from 1913 to 1929. The schemes If, however, they prefer outdoor life with plenty ceased for good with the start of the Great of good food and splendid prospects, they should Depression. consider the question of going out to Australia, where these things await all willing workers.’ Thomas Sedgwick, scheme founder, Britain, 1913 2. THE JOURNEY Building (no longer standing) in the former Destitute Asylum complex, 1924 Courtesy State Library of South Australia, B 2355 Mixed Emotions & Mischief The first group of 81 boys departed London ‘When we left Tilbury of course we were all on the SS Beltana on 15 May 1913. The strangers to each other and you had to make journey to South Australia took about six some friendships. We formed teams and we had weeks. Each group was usually supervised boxing and things like that... It was just rough by just one man. stuff but clean. We had quite a lot of fun.’ Jack Drew, SS Balranald, 1923 ‘During the trip out we asked the cook why we didn’t receive as good food as the passengers up in the saloon. He said “Well, they’re passengers.” “Then what are we?” we asked. “You’re only bloody cargo!” Alf Dyer, SS Ballarat, 1922 ‘A lecture this evening for the young emigrants – they were told to develop reliability and forget about town life, pictures and cinemas. 80% of failures in Australia were young men who left the country and drifted back to towns.’ Diary of John Scholefield, boys’ ‘welfare officer’, SS Balranald, 1924 While for many passengers the journey was the adventure of a lifetime, at the other extreme, one farm apprentice committed suicide en route: Gloves, pipe and bible brought to Australia by Robert Dickson (SS Benalla, 1923) ‘On his way to South Australia a Barwell boy Courtesy Jane Cherry and Mary Denton (née Dickson) went overboard ... under circumstances which pointed to suicide... [The boy] lost his father two weeks before he embarked, and was grieving greatly. A watch was kept on him on the ship, as he stated that he wished he were dead.’ The Chronicle, 24 May 1924 Above: Diary, Francis Warnaby (SS Bendigo, 1923) Courtesy Glenys Warnaby Right: Passport, Edward Clisby (SS Ballarat, 1923) Courtesy Arthur Clisby Above: Letter, Tom Walker (SS Barrabool, 1923) Right: Tom Walker Courtesy Cynthia Wynne (née Walker) Notebook, George Doxey (SS Ballarat, 1923) Courtesy Migration Museum HT 2001.146 Donor: Janna Goodland (née Doxey) Barwell Boys relaxing after arrival, 1923 Photograph taken looking west from the second storey of a building situated approximately where the University of Adelaide’s physics building now stands. The Migration Museum’s two storey building is visible at the rear. Courtesy History SA Glass Negatives Collection GN03236 Arrival in Adelaide & Dispatch to Destination The boys stayed at buildings in and around ‘We sent for you to come out and help us to Kintore Avenue, Adelaide, on arrival. develop the country. We desire you to go on the Farmers were invited to come and select land and eventually to become producers. If you their own apprentices but for many the possess the good old British characteristics of trip was too long and expensive, so most pluck and determination, you are sure to make good. You lads are the type Australia wants. You employers left the decision to the authorities. will be treated like sons. Good luck!’ George Laffer, Minister of Agriculture, Within 48 hours the boys started another long addressing apprentices upon their arrival, 1922 journey by road, rail and/or sea to their final destinations, as far as Penong in the west, Leigh Creek in the north, through to Port MacDonnell in the south-east. 3. ON THE FARM Theysaiditwouldbealandofmilkandhoney...’ ...but the milk was off and the honey runny! Alec Best, apprenticed at Avon Courtesy History SA Glass Negatives Collection GN01029 Hugh Lawson, with a fellow apprentice, at Hindmarsh Island Immigration Officers Edgar Field and Victor ‘Well Sir I have been out here a little over two Ryan encouraged the apprentices to write years and I think it is a wonderfull [sic] country to them about their progress. Ryan had that is as far as farming goes. It is wonderfull more than 1,000 boys in his care at one [sic] the great machines that are used in wheat time, yet still wrote personal responses to farming, such implements as Reapers, Threshers, Binders, Stump Jump Ploughs, Combine Drill each boy. This earned him the nickname and Cultivators, most of which I believe are “Daddy Ryan”. Australian inventions. Australia from what I can see in the papers recently produces the finest ‘I wish to thank you [Immigration Officer Ryan] flour in the world, which says some-thing for for your little advice “if at first you don’t the man on the land.’ succeed, try, try again”. I have been very hard James Clark, apprenticed at Booleroo Centre tried … I have never done farm work before and because of that I am getting hustled and ‘I have arrived at my destination and have shouted at all over the farm.’ found [the host family] very nice people. They William Bourne, apprenticed at Streaky Bay are eager to do all in their power to make me feel at home ... I must say that, as a class, the ‘[Haydon] did not want it thought he was using Australians are more hospitable than the English “soft soap” in anything he had to say, but his are at home ... there is only myself to blame if I unshaken conviction was that ..