It was a very special privilege to be invited to attend a photographic exhibition at the wheatbelt town of Quairading to mark the completion of an important project.
The elders of Badjaling community, situated about 10 minutes from Quairading, have been working with Community Vision to produce a book and website that recalls some of the history of Badjaling.
The event had personal interest as both my mum and dad spent time at Badjaling as single people, and later as a young married couple so I was able to meet current elders who were schoolchildren at the time.
Mum went there in 1930 at the age of 18 to work as a housekeeper for the two missionaries, Miss Mary Belshaw and Miss May McRidge and stayed for two years.
Dad went there in 1938 and at the age of 21 became the schoolteacher for 38 children. He had been sent to Australia from Belfast as a 13-year-old and had no family in Australia. Badjaling became his home, and when he was called up to military service he would return to Badjaling whenever he was on leave.
I hope you enjoy this video as much as I enjoyed the visit to Badjaling Remembers at Quairading.
