It
sits alone in the forest,
an
old stone hearth and chimney –
no
sound but the wind in the trees,
an
occasional bird-call
and
perhaps the drone
of
a tractor
on
a nearby farm.
And
yet a memory
of
such joy and liveliness –
young
voices at play
or
raised in song –
chanting
“tables”,
sometimes
squabbling,
always
learning,
preparing
for life
in
a world yet unknown.
The old Wirrabara Forest school in the Southern Flinders Ranges of South
Australia is commemorated by its restored fireplace and chimney. It was
one of many "one teacher schools" that dotted the "bush".
