Fairbridge Farm Schools was started by a group of 12 NSW Rhodes Scholars and four other citizens who wanted to bring the principles of Kingsley Fairbridge to NSW. They bought the Molong property and did a deal with the Fairbridge Society in London to supply them with children, in return for using the name Fairbridge. They accepted the London Fairbridge Society's demand that it retain the right to hire and fire the principal of Fairbridge Farms and control the records of children at Molong.

The Fairbridge Society, London was involved in similar schemes in other places including the Farm School at Pinjarra in Western Australia and others in Canada and Rhodesia (Zimbabwe). The difference between the Molong Farm School and the other Fairbridge Farm Schools is that, while all the others were established and operated with monies largely from the United Kingdom, the Molong Farm School was established and operated with monies largely from Australian sources.

The Fairbridge Farm School, Molong closed in 1973.

The money from the sale of the farm was administered by the Fairbridge Foundation, which had replaced the original Fairbridge Society. It has the responsibility of distributing its revenues, as donations, to charitable institutions for underprivileged children in NSW and has responsibility for the custody of the personal files of the children who passed through the Fairbridge Farm School at Molong.

Former residents of the Farm School have formed an Old Fairbridgians' Association, based in Molong. The Old Fairbridgians Association is made up mainly of children who went through Fairbridge, and has associate members, such as ex staff, spouses and children of Old Fairbridgians.

Location

1938 - 1973

Fairbridge Farm School situated at Molong. Location: Molong