Far West again forced to deny rumours
Wednesday April 8, 2009
Royal Far West CEO Jann Kingston has again been forced to deny a rumour still circulating that the organisation will suspend its visiting psychology and speech therapy services in Cobar.
Ms Kingston first reported in last week’s edition of The Cobar Weekly that the rumour was not true, however subsequent media reports have reignited the rumour.
Ms Kingston said she spoke to Cr Brady last Monday to again reiterate that the service has no plans to withdraw from Cobar.
She said the organisation has been discussing the logistics of not having flights to Cobar, with an option considered to send a team of specialists to Cobar in one go rather than individual visits for each service.
Royal Far West was founded by Reverend Stanley Drummond in 1924, inspired by the time he spent stationed in Cobar as superintendent of the Far West Mission of the Methodist Church.
Rev Drummond spent time in Manly
recovering from surgery and became inspired to “bring the children of the far west to the seaside, the children of the kind who would otherwise never see the sea during their
childhood”.
In 1925 Rev Drummond organised a group of more than 50 children from Cobar, Bourke, Brewarrina, Byrock, Wilcannia and other surrounding areas to spend a week at a seaside camp in Sydney.
While the children were in Sydney, a number required minor medical attention which was provided free of charge by Sydney doctors.
From then on the organisation focussed on providing health care for far west children.
In 1930 the scheme expanded when the Minister for Transport donated railway cars which were specially fitted out as clinics to provide an outreach service to far west areas.
One of these railway cars is still on display today at the Great Cobar Heritage Centre.
In 1935 pioneering female pilot Nancy Bird Walton became involved with the scheme, donating her time and her plane to fly medical professionals to ill children in the remote areas of the far west.
In the same year the Drummond Far West Home at Manly was officially opened, and is still used today by many western region children, including ones from Cobar.
The organisation added the word ‘Royal’ to its title in 1970 after a visit from Queen Elizabeth and Princess Anne.
Royal Far West continues to provide an outreach service to Cobar and other western communities.
Drummond Park in Cobar is a memorial to the founder of the organisation.
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