[POSSIBLE MATCH] A birth registration was found for Arthur Joseph Keane: Year of Registration: 1899; Quarter of Registration: Jul-Aug-Sep; District: Petersfield; County: Hampshire, Sussex; Volume: 2c; Page: 147. Parents: Thomas and Kate Keane.

In 1913, Arthur Keane, 13, arrived at Fremantle, Australia, in the first group of 13 boys en route to the Fairbridge Farm School, Pinjarra, Australia.

In her book about the Fairbridge Farm in Pinjarra, "The Building of a Farm School," (Published 1948 - Paterson Press Ltd, Perth, Western Australia), Ruby Fairbridge told how her husband, Kingsley Fairbridge, the founder of Fairbridge Farm, journeyed to Fremantle to meet the 'Australind' and to escort the boys back to Pinjarra. Mr Duncan McLarty lent a wagon and horses to transport the children from Pinjarra to the Farm.

The first children arrived – “a more incongruous, desolate little bunch of humanity it would be hard to imagine” with little more than the clothes on their backs, “everything was dirty. The Guardians had just fitted them up for life in an English workhouse”.

Schooling was provided informally. Adapting to the Australian climate and bush (not to mention the primitive conditions at the Farm and the hard work required) was very difficult for the new arrivals. Kingsley did some hard negotiating with a local builder (even pledging his own money) for the necessary structures.

That first summer was unbearably hot. Indoors it was hard to find anywhere that registered below 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Kingsley suffered further bouts of malaria and fever. To help speed recuperation, the Fairbridge’s took a ten-day holiday to Toodyay and stayed with Mr and Mrs Clarkson. Upon their return, the boys (under the direction of the “Captain”) entertained the Fairbridges with a concert, and in their absence had worked very hard to clean up the Farm. Soon after this, the Fairbridge’s own private quarters were erected together with a big new dining room into which the boys moved their beds to avoid the oncoming April showery weather.

Ruby proceeds to describe “The Day’s Work” – an account of daily life. This chapter is an extract taken from a letter to London written by Kingsley and dated February 14th, 1913.
r n“Nine boys sleep in three tents a little way from the house; three to a tent. Two of our little rooms in the house are occupied by two tinier boys in each.”
r n“5.30am Walter Wickham arises to shoot birds doing damage in the orchard … at the same time, Arthur Keane (aged 13) brings in the 2 cows and milks them, strains off the milk, washes the equipment … meanwhile Arthur Lodge (aged 12) prepares the fowl’s food (boils water to mix bran and pollard) … and the same time John Wickham cleans the manager’s house and readies the kitchen”.

At 6.30am the younger boys arise. Bathe and dress. Breakfast is at 7am. Porridge or sweet corn with sugar and fresh milk, bread and butter and home-made jam with cocoa or tea. Grace is said at all meals Navy-style “Thank God. Amen”. Kingsley has the worst-mannered boys at his table. Their manners quickly improve. After breakfast Walter and John Wickham do the kitchen washing up. Others wash up plates, knives & forks. Still others go off to make all the beds. Duties are rotated.

At 8.15am is parade. Captain Q drills the boys until 9am. Each boy then works until 11.30am called “Telling of Details”. Work includes “Emptying and purifying the Rears and Urinals, washing bathroom basins, weeding the orchard, garden work, driving to Pinjarra for mail and food (under supervision), helping in the kitchen and washing clothes, scarifying the orchard and orderly duties. Looks nice in practice but it was all subject to quarrels, injuries and sickness (real or imaginary), going missing etc.

11.30am is lunchtime. Meat dish, vegetables, pudding (stewed of fresh fruit) followed by washing up again. An hour’s play or letter writing fol