ORPHANS FOR AUSTRALIA.

Taranaki Daily News, 29 December 1922, Page 5

ORPHANS FOR AUSTRALIA.

THE BURNSIDE HOMES’ MIGRANTS. London, Nov. 9. Twenty-three Irish orphans sailed yesterday, November 8, for Australia by the Euripides (says the British Australasian). Their destination is the Burnside Homes, Parramatta, the well-known orphanage founded by Sir John Burns and maintained bv private munificence. These 23 Irish children go to it under quite extraordinary circumstances, which began with the destruction by fire of their own orphanage in Ireland—one item in the list of Irish outrages—their homeless plight, and an appeal made through The Times for temporary accommodation for them. That appeal caught the eye of Mr. Andrew Reid, one of the directors of the Burnside Homes, at present in this country, and through him an offer was made to the guardians of these orphans to house and educate them at Burnside, and subse quently to settle them in Australia. Fortunately, the latest to be built of the 15 homes at Burnside was nearing completion at the time, and, by the way, was the gift to the institution of Mr. Andrew Reid. It was this house which was offered. The offer was gratefully accepted, the necessary formalities as between the directors of the Burnside Homes and the Migration and Settlement Office, Australia House, were completed, the free passage to Australia of the 23 children and a matron was arranged, and yesterday, as said, this unusual batch of migrants em- ' icd upon the voyage to their new homeland.

Their settlement in Australia is not only interesting from the point of view of the generosity which has so splendidly provided for them, it is also noteworthy in reaper, of the migration to Australia of young people in general, already an important feature of Australian migration schemes. The far-reaching possibilities suggested by those schemes are emphasised by the departure of this contingent of Irish boys.

Information has been had from the majority of them as to the line of work they most favor. Seven of them would like to become fruitgrowers; eight would prefer general farming; three have a partiality for poultry-farming, while the other three, who love horses better than most other things, will bo content with the life of the stables in any shape or form.