Card Index to Applications for Assisted Passage as Farm Apprentices (Barwell Boys), 1922-1924

The Barwell Boys Scheme (also known as the South Australian Farm Apprentice Scheme) was devised by the then Premier of South Australia, Henry Barwell, to help with repopulating the state after 6000 South Australian men died in World War One. Boys (generally in their late teens) emigrated to South Australia and were assigned to a South Australian farmer as a ‘farm apprentice’. Once they arrived the boys were paid a wage from which their passage money was repaid. The cards are arranged alphabetically and give the: name of boy, the file number, the name of ship, the date of arrival, religion, name and address of employer/s and wages paid etc.