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Record #5448

Name :: : Arthur Joseph KEANE (1899 - 1913)
Father: :
Mother: :

BMD and other details

Date of Birth: : 14 May 1899 Notes : Source: Fairbridge Kids
Marriage (1): :
Marriage (2): :
Date of Death: : Aug 1913 Notes : Accidental Drowning

Abode (1) : Place of BirthEngland, Sussex, Petersfield

Sep qtr, 2c 147

Abode (2) : Place of Death / BurialAustralia, Pinjarra

Sailing Information

Date of Arrival: : Jan 1913
Country: : Australia
Ship: : Australind
Placement Family: :

Homes / Agencys

Institution (GB): :
Agency: : Fairbridge Homes

NotesA 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.

?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.?

?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 followed lunch.

1.30pm. The Manager reads to the boys for an hour. At 2.30pm reading is over and the 9 smaller boys have an hour?s play while the older ones are occupied with farming jobs. 3.30pm is boxing hour where the boys can whack each other in the ring. A popular time. At 4.30pm it?s time for the second daily bath (much needed after all of the above, especially in the hot weather).

5.00pm. Supper time arrives. Taken alone under the supervision of the cook or matron. With plenty of good food, regular exercise and an out-door life, the boys thrived, adding weight and stamina. Wash up again and baths are filled for next morning.

6.00pm. Parade for all boys. Sometimes drill but often sports. On Saturdays the staff and farm hands might join in the sports. After Parade is evening prayer. Bedtime is 6.30pm. The Manager does the rounds at 7.15pm and wishes them goodnight. 7.30pm Silence.

Towards the end of August 1913, Arthur Keane accidentally drowned while bathing in a pond. He dived in and got caught in debris on the bottom. Kingsley himself dived into the pond fully dressed, recovered Arthur and unsuccessfully tried to resuscitate him.

It is not known where Arthur Keane is buried. He is not with the others at Fairbridge Cemetery.

ContributorsCreated : 2009-03-05 20:47:56 / From original database

Additional Contributions from : mollipops1

Last Updated : 2009-03-05 20:59:15 /

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Surnames starting with: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z 30 Entries

Page: [1] 2 3 4 5 138 Entries

ID	Name	DOB	Place of birth	Arrivals & Ships	Dest.	Agency	Family links
3057	ABBOTT, Harold Lancelot	1895	ENG, SSX, Steyning	Jul 1911 : Corsican	CAN	Labourers & Domestics
21088	ADAMS, Percy Robert	1884	ENG, SSX, Hastings	Apr 1898 : Labrador	CAN	Barnardos
8059	ADAMS, Sophia Elizabeth	1847	ENG, SSX, Hurstpierpoint	Jun 1869 : Austrian	CAN	Maria Rye
16636	ALABASTER, George William	1877	ENG, SSX, Chichester	May 1890 : Parisian	CAN	Rev. William J. Pady
2851	ALCE, William Henry	1894	ENG, SSX, Seaford	May 1911 : Corsican	CAN	Louisa Birt
9623	ALDRICH, Francis Vincent	1900	ENG, SSX, Brighton	May 1910 : Corsican	CAN	Unknown Catholic Group
10218	ALEXANDER, Edward Bubbings	1901	ENG, SSX, Rye	May 1913 : Corsican	CAN	MacPherson Homes
10417	ALEXANDER, Kevin Ernest	1909	ENG, SSX, Littlehampton	May 1921 : Minnedosa	CAN	Father Hudsons Homes
25137	ANDREWS, Herbert George	1912	ENG, SSX	Feb 1924 : Euripides	AUS	Fairbridge Homes
19225	BACKSHALL, Charles Albert Edward	1903	ENG, SSX, Brighton	Sep 1912 : Sicilian	CAN	Barnardos
16427	BANKS, Harry	1915	ENG, SSX, New Haven	Jul 1923 : Minnedosa	CAN	Barnardos
16392	BANKS, Hilda Pearl	1909	ENG, SSX, Eastbourne	Sep 1921 : Minnedosa	CAN	Barnardos
16391	BANKS, Ivy Melisa	1917	ENG, SSX, Eastbourne	Sep 1921 : Minnedosa	CAN	Barnardos
4077	BARBER, Walter	1887	ENG, SSX, Camberwell	Jun 1906 : Siberian	CAN	Middlemore
8684	BARRINGER, Frank	1895	ENG, SSX, Lewes	Aug 1905 : Dominion	CAN	Barnardos	Shanley
11076	BATHE, Harry	1889	ENG, SSX, Brighton	Sep 1901 : Tunisian	CAN	Barnardos
4317	BEATEY, James Henry	1873	ENG, SSX, Steyning	1888 : - Unknown -	CAN	Washwell House
16688	BLUNT, Albert	1882	ENG, SSX, Eastborne	Mar 1892 : Carthaginian	CAN	Barnardos
22125	BONE, Peter Knowles	1913	ENG, SSX, Eastbourne	May 1931 : Westernland	CAN	National Association of Boys\' Clubs
3481	BOUGH, Arthur	1896	ENG, SSX, Steyning	Mar 1906 : Dominion	CAN	Barnardos
27021	BREACH, Godfrey James	1913	ENG, SSX, Hastings	Mar 1926 : Berrima	AUS	Fairbridge Homes
8737	BRENTON, Charles L.	1911	ENG, SSX, Hailsham	Apr 1928 : Andania	CAN	Waifs & Strays
5511	BROOKMAN, Michael John. D.	1930	ENG, SSX, Brighton	Aug 1939 : Orama	AUS	Fairbridge Homes
26272	BROWN, Horace	1920	ENG, SSX, Hastings	Apr 1930 : Jervis Bay	AUS	Fairbridge Homes
3330	BRUNGER, Ada Zora	1899	ENG, SSX, Hastings	Apr 1912 : Corsican	CAN	Louisa Birt
3329	BRUNGER, Charles Edward	1896	ENG, SSX, Hastings	May 1910 : Corsican	CAN	Louisa Birt
4247	BUDDLE, Adelaide Jane	1887	ENG, SSX, Brighton	Sep 1895 : Sardinian	CAN	Barnardos
10661	BURRAGE, Arthur	1899	ENG, SSX, Horsham	Jul 1915 : Hesperian	CAN	Catholic Emigration Society
4718	CARNOHAN, Percy Bell	1897	ENG, SSX, Brighton	Oct 1905 : Canada	CAN	Barnardos
3497	CHARMAN, George Frewin	1896	ENG, SSX, Horsham	Apr 1908 : Lake Champlain	CAN	Fegan Homes for Boys
ID	Name	DOB	Place of birth	Arrivals & Ships	Dest.	Agency	Family links

Page: [1] 2 3 4 5 138 Entries

Surnames starting with: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z 30 Entries

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