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Letters from Home – Podcast

Letters from Home is our podcast sharing the real voices and lived experiences of boarding. Through honest conversations with parents, students and experts, we explore the challenges, the triumphs and the everyday realities of life beyond the places we call home. For families, it offers reassurance, strategies and connection. For schools, it’s a window into the hopes and concerns of rural communities, helping strengthen understanding and relationships. Each episode is a letter from the bush to the boarding world.

When Jess Redfern Finally Got to Be Jess

Boarding school didn’t give Jess Redfern her ambition, but it gave her the confidence and freedom to discover where it might take her. From a determined Year 8 boarder to entrepreneur, mum and founder of SAVVI, Jess shares how leaving
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The Schools That Let Them Stay Home

From Yambah Station to boarding school in Toowoomba, Sally Muenster shares the heartbreak of saying goodbye to her children, the importance of staying connected across thousands of kilometres, and the unexpected community boarding brings. It’s a story about keeping rural
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Finding Home Where You Never Expected

Georgie Cavanagh grew up in inner Melbourne, never imagining she’d one day marry a farmer, raise children in the bush and run a global luxury brand from rural Australia. Hear how boarding school planted the first seeds of that remarkable
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She Came to Bourke for Six Months… and Found the Life She Was Meant to Live

Fresh out of school, Prue Ritchie arrived in Bourke expecting to stay six months. Instead, she found a family, community and purpose, becoming a passionate advocate for rural education and children.
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The Ripple Effect: Rowing, Belonging and the Bush

What began with a few boats and a belief that rowing shouldn't belong only to cities and schools is becoming a movement across rural Australia.
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She Never Planned to Be a Farmer… Now She’s Planning for Boarding School

Kaitie Nash, known online as 'First Time Farmer,' shares her journey from Perth to farm life in NSW, navigating drought, motherhood and now boarding school decisions — approaching each challenge, and her son's voice, with honesty and humour.
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She Wasn’t Looking for a Rural Life…

Teacher, ICPA advocate and researcher Hannah Calcino moved from city life to Winton, driven by a belief that every child deserves equitable access to education. Her story explores purpose, place and rural education.
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One Year That Changed Everything

When Kate Brow spent a year boarding in the mountains, she had no idea it would shape her resilience for life. Now a farmer's wife and mother, she's helping rural women find connection through Motherland Village.
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When Choosing Isn’t Easy: A Rural Principal Reflects on the Freedom to Choose

Rural school principal Brett Wilkie shares the deeply personal decisions many country families face when considering boarding school. A thoughtful conversation about choice, community, opportunity and why every family deserves the freedom to do what’s best for their child.
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What Happens When Country Kids Leave, Learn and Come Home?

Agribusiness lawyer and Women in Ag co-founder Maddie Morgan shares how boarding school built her confidence, independence and lifelong friendships, preparing her for a successful career before returning to support rural communities and Australian agriculture.
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When Paradise Isn’t Enough

When Katie and Dan Toney discovered boarding school could offer their children new opportunities without leaving the coastal community they loved, it transformed their family’s future. Their experience is now inspiring other families to rethink what’s possible.
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You Just Make It Work – One Mum’s Journey Through Loss, Boarding School and Bush Resilience

After sudden tragedy, Sophie Elliott rebuilds life in Winton, raising children through distance education, reflecting on rural schooling, boarding school challenges, community resilience, and the sacrifices and opportunities shaping remote Australian families journey.
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What It Really Feels Like to Leave Home at 12 – An honest conversation with my daughter Annabel.

Eighteen years after leaving home for boarding school, Annabel sits down with me to revisit a transition we remember differently. Our conversation explores homesickness, grief, resilience and the stories our children carry.
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The Boarding School Question So Many Rural Parents Ask – Amy Clark’s Honest Education Journey

Rural mum Amy Clark shares her journey from Sydney to country life, and the honest process of considering boarding school for her three boys. She explores opportunity, community, family logistics and finding the right fit.
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Go Floppy – Sarah Ryan’s Very Real Guide to Boarding School

Sarah Ryan shares an honest perspective on boarding school, shaped by her own experience as a boarder and now as a parent. From rural life to first drop-off, she explores resilience, independence and learning to let go.
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From “Absolutely Not” to Thriving at Boarding School… The Rainy Day in Dubbo That Changed Everything

This week in our From the Vault series, we revisit Robert Bevern’s moving story ahead of the 2026 Dubbo Boarding Schools Expo - a reminder that sometimes one rainy Saturday can change everything for a family.
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Just Go and Ask the Question – A Dubbo Mum’s Boarding School Journey

Lisa Green’s journey highlights boarding school possibilities, scholarship pathways, and encouragement for families, especially single parents, considering regional options.
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When Schools Travel the Distance Too – Why Access to Education Matters in the Bush: with Angie Nisbet

From the Archives: What does it really mean for rural and remote families to access boarding school? Amanda and Angie Nisbet explore distance, connection and why it matters that schools travel too.
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The School of the EXPO Award celebrates genuine connection between families and schools. Voted on by families attending each event, the award recognises schools that stand out for their friendliness, presentation, and knowledge of boarding life. It’s a fun, interactive way for families – and their children – to engage with the schools in the room, while giving exhibitors valuable feedback on what resonates most. Each winning school receives a free registration for the following year’s Expo in recognition of their excellence.

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