|
|||
The Group Settlement scheme was pretty
much doomed to failure from the beginning although it was successful in
opening up areas of the southwest of Western Australia.
Simple in it's concept, England had an unemployment problem after the Great War of 1914-18, and the Western Australian Government wanted farmers in the Southwest. The Hasting family arrived in Australia at Albany Western Australia in March 1925 aboard the Aberdeen Line S.S. Demosthenes and went to Denmark where Granpa took up land on a Group Settlement scheme. Supporting documentation to "Application for admission of Relatives or friends to Australia. Gertrude Tearle" states an acreage of 187 acres and a letter of 28th July 1927 says "The Field Supervisor of the Group
Settlement Branch, advises me that Mr. HASTINGS is a very satisfactory
settler, and should be able to provide amply for the person referred to. He
is at present living in a very comfortable four-roomed cottage.
Dad, a schoolteacher, was posted to Groups
58 & 111 ( later known as Harewood Rd School) at an annual salary of
£235 ($470) at the beginning of 1932 and he boarded with them. In
1933 Granpa walked off the farm. Dad's postings to Group Settlements schools GROUP 141 GROUPS 58 & 111 GROUP 97 |
|||
|