Tamara Nixon is a sixth-generation farming mum from Oaklands in the Southern Riverina, balancing life on the land with the big-hearted reality of parenting three children away at boarding school in Melbourne.
In this episode, Tamara shares why she believes so deeply in boarding – the resilience, diversity of opportunity, and the powerful sense of community it can create.
But she also raises an issue more families are quietly noticing: particularly in places where it’s distances aren’t so vast like Victoria, boarding houses can empty out on weekends – and that shift can change the culture of belonging we often celebrate.
Tamara talks frankly about what that means for boarders who stay, how schools can and have rebuilt community after COVID, and why honouring rural roots (and even agricultural pathways) matters more than ever.
If you enjoyed this conversation, you might also love our Nailing Homesickness episode with Tamara’s son Harry, a student at Scotch College in Melbourne.
