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The Reverend Frederick C.B. Fairey

The Reverend Frederick C.B. Fairey. A presentation by The Victorian Sea Kayak Club to The St Kilda Historical Society. April 2008. St Kilda’s Pioneering Canoeist. The Reverend Frederick Charles Bonfield Fairey Born in 17 th October 1844 in Brighton England He was one of eight children

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The Reverend Frederick C.B. Fairey

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  1. The Reverend Frederick C.B. Fairey A presentation by The Victorian Sea Kayak Club to The St Kilda Historical Society April 2008

  2. St Kilda’s Pioneering Canoeist • The Reverend Frederick Charles Bonfield Fairey • Born in 17th October 1844 in Brighton England • He was one of eight children • Brought up in a Christian family • Parents John Fairey b: 1808 & Ann Woods Wilkinson b: 1811

  3. St Kilda’s Pioneering Canoeist

  4. St Kilda’s Pioneering Canoeist • Grew up with a longing for the sea • Left home in Dec 1859 age 15 • Joined the Royal Navy as a naval apprentice at Portsmouth • Saw foreign service in many countries • Resigned age 18 after two and half years of service

  5. St Kilda’s Pioneering Canoeist • Tried to settle into shore life - futile • Joined ‘The Merchant Service” • Witnessed & experienced the transition from sail to steamships • Again saw much foreign service ( Philippines, Chile, NZ et al ) • Six and half years of sea-life in total • Migrated to South America – stayed for two and half years

  6. St Kilda’s Pioneering Canoeist • Received “the call” in 1876 and migrated to St Kilda for ministerial training • Married Francis Mary Allen on 12th December 1876 at Windsor, Melbourne

  7. St Kilda’s Pioneering Canoeist • Received Training in the Congregationalist Church in St Kilda • Identified a need to service his ‘flock’ who lived great distances away on the western shores of Port Phillip “Who seldom hear the gospel preached or see the face of a Christian minister” – FCBF • Through his associated & knowledge of John McGregor a London based Scot he ordered a “Rob Roy” Canoe • Canoe arrived at FCBF’s house in St Kilda on June 25th 1877

  8. St Kilda’s Pioneering Canoeist • “Rob Roy” Canoe pictured at Searle & Sons, London

  9. St Kilda’s Pioneering Canoeist • Maiden voyage – St Kilda Pier to Geelong, then down the Barwon River, through Connewarre Lakes. Enter Bass Strait at Barwon Heads, head along the coast to Point Lonsdale, re-enter Port Phillip via “The Rip”, continue to Queenscliffe, back up the West coast to St Kilda. • A total voyage of one hundred nautical miles on bay, river,lake & open sea

  10. St Kilda’s Pioneering Canoeist

  11. St Kilda’s Pioneering Canoeist • Reverend FCB Fairey went on to serve the ministry with distinction in South Australia (Keynton), Tasmania (Forth) and New South Wales (Windsor) • Many other canoeing adventures undertaken including the North & East Coastlines of Tasmania • Many of FCBF’s stories were recorded by him in the “Boy’s Own Paper” between 1881 & 1882

  12. St Kilda’s Pioneering Canoeist • Family and Descendents • Frederick & Francis had eight children • Arthur b:1877 Home Cottage East St Kilda • Ernest b:1881, Windsor NSW • Stanley b:1883, Hunters Hill Sydney NSW • Ethel b1885, Leichardt Sydney NSW • Leslie b: 1887, Homedale Tasmania • Florence b:1891 Keyneton South Australia • Kenneth b 1895 Keyneton South Australia • Gladys b: 1897 Keyneton South Australia

  13. St Kilda’s Pioneering Canoeist • Family and Descendents • Traced family still living in Australia • Kenneth David Fairey (81 years old) son of Leslie Mitchell Fairey. Kenneth lives in Revesby NSW • Paul Turvey, great-grandson of Rev FCBF and grandson of Florence Fairey. Paul’s father is 81 years old & lives in Hobart, Tasmania

  14. St Kilda’s Pioneering Canoeist • Reverend Frederick Charles Bonfield Fairey died on 31st December 1924 at Tempe New South Wales • Buried in Rookwood Cemetery, Sydney (no headstone on grave, marked by a rose bush)

  15. The Victorian Sea Kayak Club – Re-enactment of “The Voyage of the Evangelist”

  16. Re-enactment of “The Voyage of the Evangelist” • Carried out in three stages • St Kilda to Werribee River, camp overnight then continue to Geelong • Geelong to Barwon Heads, camp overnight then continue to Indented Head • Indented Head to Werribee River, camp overnight then continue to St Kilda • Ten days total paddling over one hundred nautical miles • In excess of twenty club members participated • Great interest in our “First Sea Kayaker” • Met Dr Peter Munster, Congregationist Church historian en-route

  17. Re-enactment of “The Voyage of the Evangelist”– Stage One

  18. Re-enactment of “The Voyage of the Evangelist”– Stage Two

  19. Re-enactment of “The Voyage of the Evangelist”– Stage Three

  20. St Kilda’s Pioneering Canoeist • Research assistance given by:- • Carol Carruthers, Historian, Hawkesbury Museum, New South Wales • Rev Ian Breward and staff , Archives Department, Uniting Church • Jack Barnes, St Kilda author • Dr Peter Munster, Historian Congregationalist Church • Ms David, Librarian, Rare Books Department, Monash University Library • Mrs Valma Martin, Genealogist

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