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The Barwell SchemePrint Page 
The plaque commemorates the Barwell Scheme which brought British teenage boys to South Australia to work on farms.
The scheme was designed to help South Australia address its lack of young working-age people after the loss of about 6,000 men during World War One. South Australia's then-premier Henry Barwell created the farming apprenticeship scheme, affectionately known as the Barwell Boys.
It aimed to bring British boys aged 15 to 18 to work on farms in the state, and about 1,400 made the seven-week journey by boat. The last living Barwell Boy passed away in 2008.
A plaque has been unveiled in Cummins on the Eyre Peninsula to commemorate the centenary of the Barwell Boys first landing on South Australian shores. They were part of a scheme designed to help South Australia address its lack of young working-age people after the loss of about 6,000 men during World War I.
South Australia's then-premier Henry Barwell created the farming apprenticeship scheme, affectionately known as the Barwell Boys. It aimed to bring British boys aged 15 to 18 to work on farms in the state, and about 1,400 made the seven-week journey by boat. The last living Barwell Boy passed away in 2008, but descendants have kept the Barwell Boys' name alive, organising annual catch-ups.
ABC Eyre Peninsula, 4 October 2022.
Location
| Address: | Tod Highway & Umlauf Street, Cummins, 5631 |
|---|---|
| State: | SA |
| Area: | AUS |
| GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -34.265801 Long: 135.725752 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
Details
| Monument Type: | Plaque |
|---|---|
| Monument Theme: | Landscape |
| Sub-Theme: | Settlement |
| Approx. Event Start Date: | 1922 |
| Approx. Event End Date: | 1924 |
Dedication
| Actual Monument Dedication Date: | Wednesday 5th October, 2022 |
|---|
THE BARWELL SCHEME
This Plaque Commemorates The 1922 - 24 Initiative
By The South Australian Premier Sir Henry Barwell
That Brought More Than 1400 British Teenage Boys To S.A.
To Be Apprenticed To Farmers,
Helping Solve A Rural Labour Shortage Following WWI.
They Became Known As The `Barwell Boys`,
A Similar Late Scheme, 1927 - 29, Was Called `Little Brothers`.
Most Eventually Settled Here, Adapting To Their New Home.
They Helped Build South Australia.
