Emily Mcleod & Tom Riggs
Emily McLeod arrived at South Australian boarding school, Walford, as a shy teenager, never imagining she’d meet the love of her life through boarding school connections. A visit to Prince Alfred College with a friend changed everything. Tom Riggs was on the oval kicking a footy when he spotted Emily, asked for her number, and the two started chatting. A Green Day concert date was planned… but never quite happened after a surfing trip, a broken-down car, and a very teenage turn of events.
Fast forward 15 years and Emily and Tom now have two children (with another on the way), live on and run a Merino sheep station in Burra, SA, and Emily also runs a thriving Merino wool fashion brand, Iris & Wool.
From boarding school beginnings to building a life together, read their story.
Emily, what do you remember most about arriving at boarding school at Walford?
This year marks my 20-year reunion. It feels like a lifetime ago that I was a shy Year 8 girl, starting high school and boarding life here. I wasn’t the most academic student. Often, I was in trouble, whether in class or the boarding house! But my time at Walford was life-shaping. Boarding became my home away from home, surrounded by sister and mother figures, some are still friends today. Looking back, I realise school isn’t just about maths and science (which, admittedly, I got kicked out a few times for messing around!). It’s about so much more, developing resilience, learning to ask for help, owning mistakes with integrity, and valuing friendships and kindness. So many people here showed me what kindness truly is, and that has stayed with me.
Tom, what was life like for you as a boarder at Prince Alfred College?
I enjoyed my time as a boarder. It was very different to start with as I had never lived away from my home. But sports and making new friends helped me settle in. I found sports the best way to meet new friends which resulted in me being captain of the 1st 18 football team.
Emily, take us back to the day you visited Prince Alfred College (PAC) with your friend, what do you remember about that afternoon?
I went to PAC with a friend to visit her brother, and while we were there some of the boys, including Tom, were on the oval kicking a footy. He spotted me, got my number from my friend’s brother, and we started chatting soon after.
Tom, from your perspective, what made you notice Emily on the oval?
She was tall and she had peroxide blonde hair so she stood out!
How did the conversation start, and what were those first few chats like?
Tom started calling me a bit and I was pretty shy so didn’t give him much, haha.
A Green Day concert date was planned but famously never happened. Tom, what happened?
I went down the coast with a day boy friend from PAC to go surfing and unfortunately the car broke down on the way back to Adelaide so we never got to the concert!
Did either of you think, even back then, that this might be something special, or did that come later?
We shared a spark back then, but nothing ever came of it. Looking back, I don’t think we would have lasted if we’d found each other so young. It simply wasn’t our time. Ten years after school, our paths crossed again, and the rest is history.
How did boarding school life shape the way you connected and stayed in touch?
Boarding school life gave us a shared language before we even realised it. We both came from regional communities where connection, resilience and looking out for one another are second nature. Leaving home young taught us how to stay connected, making phone calls count, valuing friendships and community. Having mutual friends and overlapping country networks made staying in touch feel easy and natural, but more than that, we understood each other’s worlds. We both knew what it meant to miss home, and to form deep bonds quickly. That shared upbringing created a quiet familiarity between us, one that kept us connected long before life brought us properly together again.
As the years went on, how did your relationship evolve beyond those early teenage beginnings?
Good old Facebook.
Tom was scrolling one day and came across a photo of me. He sent a message, and I replied, I’m actually going to be back in Adelaide next weekend, we should catch up. And we did.
What made it feel so easy was the familiarity. We had mutual friends from our boarding school days, which meant reconnecting never felt awkward or forced. It wasn’t a formal one-on-one meeting, it was layered with trust. My friends knew Tom, knew he was a nice boy, and that mattered.
How important was boarding school to you both?
Em: Looking back, it was incredibly important to me. My late mum had set aside money for both my brother and me to attend boarding school, just as she had, and as many generations before us had. She wanted us to have that experience, and all the opportunities that come with boarding school life.
Tom: Very, it sets you up for your adult life.
What does a “normal” day look like for you now, living and working on a Merino sheep station in Burra?
Tom is the hardest worker I have ever met. And he just adores it too. He is up before the sun and rarely home before dark! There is no typical day in the life of a farmer. It’s either shearing, lamb marking, mustering, harvesting, seeding, building things or fixing things and many more jobs.
Emily, how did Iris & Wool come to life, and how does that business fit into your shared life?
We have all had sliding door moments in our lives. Mine came as a 9-year-old. I was in bed at WCH surrounded by my family.
The Dr walked in and said “Emily, these results show you have non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.” which is a form of cancer.
Most 9-year-olds wouldn’t understand what this meant, but I did. At that exact time, my mum was bald and in the battle of her life with breast cancer. I remember one of the first things I said was, “oh no I don’t want to lose my hair!”
From that day forward, the unthinkable was ahead of us – mum and I would battle cancer together. For the first few months’ mum was with me at every treatment. She had the cheekiest smile and the strongest heart. But within a year of my diagnosis, she was gone. She passed away at just 43. So young.
Now that I am a mum myself, I can’t fathom what must have been going through her mind & heart watching her daughter battle the same disease that was killing her. It was a tough time. I’d lost my mum, I was so sick I could barely get out of bed, and I did end up losing my hair. Occasionally I’d be mistaken for a boy, which shattered my confidence. I remember picking up my brother from the Saints Boarding House the first time. I was sitting in the car waiting. His friend outside the car said looking at me, “is that your brother” he thought I was a boy, I cringe thinking about it now!! That was when I turned to fashion. It became my creative outlet, my armour. A way for people to see me, beyond my illness. While I didn’t always nail it, hello snap pants! I remember how much it meant when someone complimented me on my outfit.
Even now, when someone gives me a compliment, I make a point to look them in the eye and thank them. Those experiences, those small moments, planted the first seeds for my business Iris & Wool.
In 2019, when our first child Sam was one, I had one of those long, sleep-deprived nights. And in my haze, I started thinking… How can I do something to showcase Australian wool and shine a light on wool growers like my husband? It’s my way of contributing to the Australian wool industry as I don’t work that hands on the farm.
And that’s how Iris & Wool was born, bringing together my love for fashion and Australian wool. The name honours my mum – the Iris was her favourite flower.
How do you balance family, work, farming and parenthood, especially with another little one on the way?
With Iris & Wool, I have not done it alone. I’ve been lucky to build an amazing team around me. And honestly? I’m so grateful, because let’s be real, I drop balls all the time, and the house is usually a mess! The juggle is real but Tom is very supportive of my dreams and goals. I am very lucky. Tom keeps me grounded, he’s also been known to tell me “you’re not famous!!”
Looking back, what does it mean to you that your story began through boarding school connections?
Looking back, it feels meaningful. Boarding school was a place of becoming, where independence was learned, friendships were forged, and resilience grew without us even realising it. That our story began through boarding house connections reminds me that some of the most important connections happen before we understand their significance. You never know who is going to help you or be there for you, that’s why kindness is so important. It speaks to timing, patience, and trust, that not everything needs to happen at once to be right. We crossed paths, grew separately, became who we needed to be, and then found our way back.
What’s something you’ve learned about each other over the years that still surprises you?
Em: Tom is incredible with his hands, he can build anything! From sheep yards to boats for the local yacht races! He would have been an engineer in a previous life
Tom: Em’s business skills.
If you could say something to your teenage selves on that PAC oval, what would it be?
Em: “your health is your wealth and the rest in life is a bonus,” and “If at first you don’t succeed then try, try again.”
Tom: “give anything a go, everything is waiting for you when you get back.”
Visit Em’s website here: Iris & Wool
