Sometimes History Finds You
A historical link to the new Friendship Central project
By Alison Gilchrist, CEO, GFS Perth
Reading those words, I couldn’t help smiling. The crafts may have changed over the past century, but the heart of the work feels remarkably familiar.
People gathering.
Learning together.
Sharing food.
Laughing.
Building friendships.
Serving the local community.
The account goes on to describe Miss Lofven’s annual fete, for which she walked many miles throughout the Swan district collecting donations, handmade crafts and support from local residents. The proceeds helped maintain All Saints Church while also supporting other worthwhile causes. Local children proudly earned GFS gold brooches recognising years of faithful participation, and the author reflects that there must have been “hundreds of stories” belonging to families who took part over the years. I suspect that’s true.
History often records buildings, dates and committees, but it rarely captures the everyday conversations, the encouragement quietly offered to a lonely child, the friendships formed over cups of tea or the confidence that grew because someone believed in you. Those are the moments that truly shape communities, yet they are often the hardest to preserve.
Miss Lofven herself was remembered simply as a “friend to all” who faithfully encouraged people throughout the Swan Valley and continued serving her community until the end of her long life. She died in 1963 at the age of ninety-seven and is buried at All Saints Anglican Church in Upper Swan.
As I reflected on Barbara’s discovery, it struck me that perhaps Friendship Central is not arriving in the Swan Valley for the first time after all but GFS Perth is returning to one of its original homes. That thought feels deeply significant.
When we first imagined Friendship Central, our vision was to create a place where strangers become friends, generations learn from one another, volunteers find purpose, families reconnect with nature and communities grow stronger through everyday acts of kindness. We believed we were creating something innovative for the Swan Valley. Now we realise we are also continuing a story that began generations ago.
A Small Request
Barbara’s discovery has left us wondering how many more stories remain untold. If you, your family or someone you know has memories, photographs, certificates, badges or stories about GFS in the Swan Valley or elsewhere in Western Australia, we would love to hear from you.
Together we can preserve this remarkable history so that future generations understand not only what GFS did, but the countless lives that were touched through friendship, faith and service.
After all, history is rarely made by famous people. More often, it is written quietly by ordinary people who simply keep turning up for one another.
Want to follow the journey?
Visit us — Come and see Friendship Central taking shape.
Join us — Volunteer, become a member, or join our Makers community.
Partner with us — Become a Founding Partner and help build something that lasts.
