Years of neglect and vandalism have left farm buildings in ruin with damage to walls and furniture since the farm closed in 1974.

For Lilian Leal, now 84, it was only the second time she had returned to the cottage where she lived from 1947-1952.

Mrs Leal said she was an orphan in Birmingham in England before being sent to Australia as part of the child migration scheme.

"I was 10 and a half," she said.

She followed her brother, Bill, who was one of the first children sent to Fairbridge in 1939.

"Molong Cottage, this was the first cottage I was in," she said as she wandered through the building on Sunday before the Childrens Park's opening ceremony.

"There were 13 of these army beds," she said entering the dormitory area of the cottage.

"At every morning at six o'clock the bell went."

The shower area and the kitchen of the cottage are still in place though heavily damaged.

"My memories of being here are very good," she said.

"[But] you did have to look after yourself. You had to stand up for yourself.

"I have pleasant memories, yeah, but we worked bloody hard."

Mrs Leal said the children were given new clothes and a suitcase before leaving England.

"When we came out here everything was taken off us and sent back to England for the next lot coming out," she said.

Mrs Leal said the hard life included having to learn how to mend their pair of shoes.

She said it was something the girls used to their advantage by leaving a nail or two exposed on the bottom of the shoes to fight off any unwanted advances from the boys.

Mrs Leal said she went to work as a maid in Turramurra after leaving Fairbridge.

At 18 she married Neville Leal, who was employed at the same property as a driver.

They had four children and were married for 61 years before his death.

She said the superintendent of Fairbridge Farm, Mr Woods, gave her away at her wedding.

The Fairbridge Childrens Park is located beside the Mitchell Highway just east of Molong.

It is also alongside the Molong Creek.