the Far West Organisation

was begun by Stanley Drummond from Cobar and its aim was to get children from the far west of NSW to medical treatment in Sydney where there were medical specialists. It relied on voluntary helpers like my Dad and Mrs Sylvia Randal and so many others of them who would conduct street stalls to raise funds to get the children to the Far West home in Manly. Far West also sponsored children who had never been to the beach for a holiday. I helped Steve Payton and Ray Dart one time back in the days of the goods trains. We had to take the children by car to Byrock to join up with the goods train from Brewarrina. It was stinking hot - mid January - and we filled an ice cream chest (an insulated canvas bag, the forerunner to the esky) with dry ice and drinks and sandwiches to sustain them on their journey of about 12-15 hours by train. One carriage was attached to the rear of the goods train.