Royal Far West is such an iconic organisation with a rich history spanning a century. How did you approach the monumental task of condensing 100 years into a single book? Where did you begin?
I began by reading. I read annual reports and magazines – at one point the RFW put out a magazine every quarter. Then I spoke to people, old and new. Current and former staff, current and former clients, politicians, board members, people associated with the charity. There was no shortage of information.
Many of the stories and images featured in the book are decades old. How did you go about unearthing these treasures, and were there any surprising sources or discoveries along the way?
Most of the content came from the written material – magazines and annual reports. They were incredibly rich with stories from the founders Stanley Drummond and Moncrief Barron, tales from the children at the Scheme, thank you letters from parents, updates from the glue behind the charity, Matron Elsie Hill, and plenty more. There were great stories from the branches. I also spoke to a number of people who had been at RFW, and they had more “realistic” stories about what it was like. Apparently the food in the 1960s wasn’t good. And I visited branches – the 90th anniversary party in Coonamble, for example, and that gave me a great sense of the incredible people who support RFW.
Diving into 100 years of archives can seem overwhelming. Were there moments when the sheer volume of material—stories, photos, magazine snippets—felt daunting? How did you manage to stay focused and organised?
Yes, plenty of times. It was just a matter of working through things. I had great help particularly with photos. Most of the credit for them needs to go to the RFW team and designer Melanie Milne-Davis.
Among the incredible milestones of Royal Far West—such as Reverend Stanley Gillick Drummond conceiving the Far West Children’s Health Scheme, the first aerial baby clinic, or Queen Elizabeth’s visit to Manly—do you have a personal favorite story or moment that resonated with you most?
There are two things that I still regularly think about today. One was a letter from Stanley Drummond from the very early years, describing what he discovered in outback NSW. The deprivation, starvation and death were incredible. What Stanley Drummond did was extraordinary – giving hope to people who really had very little hope. The other thing that amazed me, and continues to amaze me, is the work RFW is doing today. All these people, from clinicians and allied health professionals, to management, corporate and maintenance staff, cooking, cleaning and caring employees, working for people in the community. It is a remarkable charity, filled with remarkable people.
Your book captures the extraordinary legacy of Royal Far West, from its beginnings to the present day. Did you discover any untold stories or hidden gems that stood out as particularly special?
It is hard to nominate one because there are so many great stories. Garry Hartmann from Glenn Innes was sent to RFW by his mother and had 40 operations on one foot as a result of polio. He went on to become a boxing and martial arts champion. Noel Tovey was a polio patient at Royal Far West in the 1930s, who went on to become the principal dancer with the United Kingdom based Sadler Wells Company. George Nouh suffered from Osteogenesis Imperfecta, or brittle bones, and lived at Manly from the age of 18 months until he died, aged 12 years. He was often immobile, but a favourite of staff. He became part of the Manly community and the local police authority granted him the title Honorary Constable.
With your extensive journalism experience, how did writing this book compare to other major projects you’ve undertaken? Was there anything unique or unexpected about chronicling Royal Far West’s history?
I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. I also felt somewhat humbled by how much people give to the community. RFW has such a rich history. I grew up in Orange in central west NSW and have always known the charity’s name. But I didn’t realise just what a difference RFW has made over 100 years. It was definitely the biggest project I have undertaken and the more I got into it, the more I wanted to do it.
Looking ahead, what do you envision for the next 100 years of Royal Far West? If the organisation could achieve one dream, what do you think it should be?
The ultimate goal is for RFW to not be needed. It would be great if society looked after everyone, on equal terms. But that isn’t how the world works. Unfortunately, RFW will always be needed. It looks after the developmental needs of children, in a holistic manner, in rural and regional Australia better than anyone. It now has a footprint in NSW, Queensland, Victoria and WA. Becoming a totally national organisation is a great goal for the charity.
The launch of the book is a major milestone for Royal Far West. How do you hope this book will inspire the community and future supporters to engage with the charity’s incredible work?
I hope people pick up the book, read parts of it, look at the incredible pictures, and decide to support Royal Far West. If they do that, then I will feel I’ve contributed in some small way.