About 40-kilometres northeast of Boggabri sits Fairfax Public School. It was established in 1910 in the Maules Creek locale, servicing the 87 people who call Maules Creek home. Now, the community wants to show you how beautiful their home is and why you should consider bringing your family there to live.
Once upon a time, Fairfax Public School boasted 80 students, but over the years that number has dwindled despite the township being in the centre of Whitehaven’s Maules Creek, Narrabri, Gunnedah and Tarrawonga mines and Idemitsu’s Boggabri Coal.
There might not be 80 students anymore, but the school is certainly still the heart of the community.
“I have lived here with my family for just over 12 months. We come from a small rural community in Queensland, but Maules Creek is our home now,” said Fairfax P&C Secretary Amanda Mahy.
“Everyone knows everyone, if they’re not stopping to chat over the fence, they’ll wave at you on the road. If you put your hand up to ask for help, someone comes in a flash.
“We have a few committees including the Campdraft Committee and I think 90% of the members don’t even campdraft! We all get together and catch up and the men of our community have what they call ‘5 to 8 at the gate’. They do it for their mental health (they say), one Friday night a month they meet at one of the farm gates and partners and children aren’t allowed! It’s just the blokes.
“We get together as a community a lot. That’s special. You don’t find that in a lot of places anymore,” said Amanda.
Everyone you speak to in Maules Creek echoes Amanda’s sentiment about the community, and the school. That’s why they are all backing the P&C in their push to boost the numbers at Fairfax Public School.

“There are four teachers including the principal and one person in the office. Each of the teachers have their own specialty areas so the kids don’t miss out on anything in the curriculum.
“We owe it to the generations before us and those who are coming to do everything we can to ensure the longevity of the school,” said Amanda.
Marty Brennan has lived at Maules Creek since 1980.
“I went to school at Fairfax, it’s the best place in the world and the school is at the heart of the community. I raised two good boys here who both went to the school.”
One of his sons Jack graduated Fairfax in 2013 and said he loved it.
“It was a great little school. The people and the location are the best things about being out at Maules Creek.”

Steve Bradshaw was one of the first of the current residents to attend Fairfax Public. He started in 1956 and graduated in 1962.
“It’s central to everything that happens here. It’s the crux of the community.”

The P&C sat down and worked out the problems they faced with getting families to move to the area and go to the local school – housing and before and after school care.
“One of the issues is housing, whether its privately owned or located on an offset/biodiversity property owned by a mining company. Now we’re working with Whitehaven to allow the P&C to promote any housing that does become available.
“It’s fairly new but it has already been a successful relationship and through it we will double our numbers at the school next term. A new family will be moving into one of the houses we have promoted after they saw our social media and considered Fairfax to be a great choice for them to send their children.
“We’re hoping to achieve similar outcomes working with Idemitsu. Industry, school, P&C, we’re all working together.”
Amanda said there are families living in the area whose kids are going to school in Boggabri and Narrabri, the closest major townships.
“For those families Fairfax can’t be considered as an option with the current economic pressure on families. The second parent who would have once upon a time stayed home is now working in town and taking the kids with them because they start work at 8 or 9am and they need before and after school care.
“That’s something we don’t have here, and we are working really hard to make it happen.”
Amanda said the process is nothing but easy but it’s underway. The P&C is working to put out a tender to service providers within the radius of Boggabri and Narrabri to see who would like to come and set up a service at Maules Creek.
It would run five hours a day, in the early mornings and the afternoon.
“There are a few families who want to send their kids to Fairfax but it’s just impossible with their work hours,” said Amanda.
General Manager of Community Engagement at Whitehaven, Darren Swain, is a big supporter of the community and the P&C’s plan to keep families in the area.

“On our end it’s important for the local community. We obviously have families living in the area, so we want them to stay. It’s a great area and a great school with wonderful teaching staff.
“We’re looking forward to helping get the before and after school care up and running – not only will that be great for the school it’ll be great for us as well,” said Darren.
Idemitsu echoes Darren’s sentiment. Alex Williams, Idemitsu’s Environmental Compliance Superintendent lives in the community herself and sees how great it is.
“We have all the same wants and desires for this community. Boggabri Coal would be keen to support anything to build the school up.
“It’s an isolated place, as much as we are connected, it’s good to have these spots for families to come and bring their kids to, they’re not being left behind by being in a small school community, they’re being looked after,” added Alex.