Today I’m with Richard Stokes. Richard is the CEO of the Australian Boarding Schools Association (ABSA). ABSA, as the leading authority in Australia on boarding for school-aged children, promotes the interests and well-being of boarders, boarding staff, boarding parents and boarding institutions in Australia. It is an organisation that fosters collegiality and professionalism at a regional and federal level and across many parts of the world. ABSA continues to advance the profile of boarding and...
May 08, 2025•20 min•Season 8Ep. 12
Here we are another episode of Destination Boarding - The Podcast, and this one is part of our Summit Series where we expand on the panel discussions we had for our Australian Boarding Schools Summit. One of those topics was 'Big or Small, does size really matter when it comes to boarding cohorts?' We speak to families often about this very topic, and there’s obviously pro’s and con’s for both. Ultimately, it comes down to you and your child. Understanding what’s best for their personality. In t...
May 01, 2025•28 min•Season 8Ep. 11
Today’s episode is a particularly special one. We’re speaking with Sally Sweeney, CEO of Dolly’s Dream, an organisation that holds deep significance for so many rural and remote families across Australia. Founded in memory of Amy ‘Dolly’ Everett, who tragically took her own life at just 14 years old following relentless bullying and cyberbullying, Dolly’s Dream has become a national movement advocating for kindness, safety, and mental wellbeing—particularly in rural communities. This episode isn...
Apr 25, 2025•27 min•Season 9Ep. 3
Welcome back and thanks for putting us in your ears. The best thing you can do for our little podcast is follow it and share it with your friends. Some episodes may be of particular interest to you or someone you know and we’d love it if you helped more families to know the story of Australian boarding schools. This week I’m chatting with Rebecca Ryan from Gunnedah. You might remember Rebecca from our recent Australian Boarding Schools Summit, where she was part of our panel unpacking the age-ol...
Apr 24, 2025•26 min•Season 8Ep. 10
Welcome back to another week of Destination Boarding , where we continue to deep dive into the big conversations around our Australian Boarding Schools Summit topics. In today’s episode, I’m joined by Allysia Heness-Pugh, Director of Boarding at Ascham School. For almost 140 years, Ascham has offered an outstanding education for girls, with boarding sitting firmly at the heart of that legacy—ensuring rural and remote students have access to an exceptional secondary education. Ascham is well know...
Apr 17, 2025•30 min•Season 8Ep. 9
In this episode I chat with Wendy Henning from Glenmorgan in the ‘middle of everywhere’ Queensland as Wendy aptly puts it. Wendy is the State President of the Queensland ICPA, a role she clearly cherishes for the peak parent body advocating for Rural, Regional and Remote Children’s education. For nine years she has been on their State Council and now at the helm, Wendy brings an engaging warmth and humility to her advocacy role. I was really grateful to Wendy for taking the time to chat to me - ...
Apr 11, 2025•35 min•Season 9Ep. 2
Welcome back to Destination Boarding , where we dive into the conversations that matter most for boarding school families—whether you're just starting your journey or you're deep in it already. In this expert episode, I’m catching up with Richard Stokes, the CEO of the Australian Boarding Schools Association (ABSA) . If you’re not familiar with ABSA, they’re the go-to organisation for boarding schools in Australia—supporting staff, students, and families while working closely with educational an...
Apr 10, 2025•20 min•Season 8Ep. 8
Hello to you all it’s lovely to have you back here at Destination Boarding. We’re popping into your podcast feed with a few BONUS episodes in addition to our weekly drop. They’re short and straight to the heart and I know they will resonate with you. This episode I’m catching up Kirsty Wiggins - you might remember we spoke with Kirsty at the beginning of this year, and we really dived deep into the emotions that surround the drop off to boarding school. It was an authentic impassioned conversati...
Apr 04, 2025•25 min•Season 9Ep. 1
Welcome back to Destination Boarding, where we dive into the big conversations that matter to families, students, and boarding school communities. Whether you're a parent—current or prospective—a boarder or ex-boarder, an expat looking to educate your child on home soil, or a boarding school staff member, there's something here for you. Today, we’re sitting down once again with Dr. Lisa Fahey OAM . We’ve invited Dr. Lisa to be a regular contributor to the podcast, and after hearing her insights,...
Apr 03, 2025•23 min•Season 8Ep. 7
In this episode, we chat with Nonie Ayling from Wenona, a girls' school in Sydney. Nonie was of our panellists for last year’s Australian Boarding Schools Summit, where we explore the question: Big or Small… Does Size Really Matter in a Boarding House? Families often ask me whether the size of a boarding cohort makes a difference—what’s best for their child, and what are the benefits or challenges of each option? There’s sometimes concern about smaller boarding communities, so I wanted to open u...
Mar 20, 2025•28 min•Season 8Ep. 6
In this episode of Destination Boarding , we sit down with Richard Stokes, Executive Director of the Australian Boarding Schools Association (ABSA), to explore what it means to be an intentional and purposeful boarding parent. Richard shares his expert insights on how parents can best support their children through the boarding experience, from preparing them for the transition to fostering independence while staying connected. We also discuss the evolving landscape of boarding in Australia and ...
Mar 13, 2025•22 min•Season 8Ep. 5
In this episode, I sit down with Kate Kennedy, a mother, farmer, and dedicated community member from Trangie in central western NSW. Kate is the proud mum of four—Belle, an early childhood educator; Annie, a paediatric nurse; Charlie, who now helps manage the family’s farming operations; and Ned, currently in his final year at boarding school. After the devastating loss of her husband Al six years ago, Kate stepped into the role of sole operator of their 3000-hectare cropping farm, alongside a c...
Mar 06, 2025•29 min•Season 8Ep. 4
In this episode, I sit down with Phillip Heath, Head of Barker College, to discuss a key topic from this year’s Australian Boarding Schools Summit— Academics, Country Kids & the Art of Encouragement . We explore how parents and schools can best support boarders as they adjust to a new school environment, often facing a more challenging curriculum and the emotional toll of transition. Barker College offers a unique approach to boarding, focusing solely on senior co-ed boarding from Year 10 . ...
Feb 27, 2025•32 min•Season 8Ep. 3
In this episode, we're joined by Dr. Lisa Fahey , a psychologist specialising in trauma recovery and behavioral interventions for young people. As a mother of five former boarders, Dr. Lisa brings both professional expertise and personal experience to the table—making her insights invaluable for families navigating the boarding journey. This chat focuses on how parents can best support their children as they transition into secondary school, a shift that can feel overwhelming—especially for youn...
Feb 20, 2025•23 min•Season 8Ep. 2
Each year we do a summer series for our incoming boarders called ‘Nailing Homesickness’ where I chat with current boarders from across Australia. We know that the schools, and friends will have sage advice for our kids before they head off - everyone really wanting to help alleviate the nerves of our new boarders. But truly, who best to speak to than the boarders themselves? Our mission is to help our new boarders for 2025 feel that little bit more confident about heading off. I ask the students...
Jan 30, 2025•11 min•Season 7Ep. 7
Each year we do a summer series for our incoming boarders called ‘Nailing Homesickness’ where I chat with current boarders from across Australia. We know that the schools, and friends will have sage advice for our kids before they head off - everyone really wanting to help alleviate the nerves of our new boarders. But truly, who best to speak to than the boarders themselves? Our mission is to help our new boarders for 2025 feel that little bit more confident about heading off. I ask the students...
Jan 23, 2025•13 min•Season 7Ep. 6
In this conversation, Kirsty and Amanda discuss the emotional challenges faced by parents during the transition of their children to boarding school. We explore the grief that accompanies this change, the impact on family dynamics, and the importance of community support. Through personal anecdotes, we highlight the shared experiences of homesickness and the strategies that can help both parents and children cope with these feelings. In this conversation, we discuss the emotional challenges face...
Jan 17, 2025•50 min•Season 8Ep. 1
Each year we do a summer series for our incoming boarders called ‘Nailing Homesickness’ where I chat with current boarders from across Australia. We know that the schools, and friends will have sage advice for our kids before they head off - everyone really wanting to help alleviate the nerves of our new boarders. But truly, who best to speak to than the boarders themselves? Our mission is to help our new boarders for 2025 feel that little bit more confident about heading off. I ask the students...
Jan 16, 2025•13 min•Season 7Ep. 5
Each year we do a summer series for our incoming boarders called ‘Nailing Homesickness’ where I chat with current boarders from across Australia. We know that the schools, and friends will have sage advice for our kids before they head off - everyone really wanting to help alleviate the nerves of our new boarders. But truly, who best to speak to than the boarders themselves? Our mission is to help our new boarders for 2025 feel that little bit more confident about heading off. I ask the students...
Jan 09, 2025•13 min•Season 7Ep. 4
Each year we do a summer series for our incoming boarders called ‘Nailing Homesickness’ where I chat with current boarders from across Australia. We know that the schools, and friends will have sage advice for our kids before they head off - everyone really wanting to help alleviate the nerves of our new boarders. But truly, who best to speak to than the boarders themselves? Our mission is to help our new boarders for 2025 feel that little bit more confident about heading off. I ask the students...
Jan 02, 2025•13 min•Season 7Ep. 3
Each year we do a summer series for our incoming boarders called ‘Nailing Homesickness’ where I chat with current boarders from across Australia. We know that the schools, and friends will have sage advice for our kids before they head off - everyone really wanting to help alleviate the nerves of our new boarders. But truly, who best to speak to than the boarders themselves? Our mission is to help our new boarders for 2025 feel that little bit more confident about heading off. I ask the students...
Dec 26, 2024•13 min•Season 7Ep. 2
Each year we do a summer series for our incoming boarders called ‘Nailing Homesickness’ where I chat with current boarders from across Australia. We know that the schools, and friends will have sage advice for our kids before they head off - everyone really wanting to help alleviate the nerves of our new boarders. But truly, who best to speak to than the boarders themselves? Our mission is to help our new boarders for 2025 feel that little bit more confident about heading off. I ask the students...
Dec 19, 2024•13 min•Season 7Ep. 1
Hello again, thanks for tuning in to Destination Boarding. Today, I sat down with Angie Nisbet from Married to the Land podcast. Let me tell you, this episode is a ripper. I've just returned from our final boarding schools expo in Mount Isa, where we were overwhelmed with the number of families that came through the door. It's only our second event in Mount Isa and our experience shows us that it takes time to build a following. Wow. Mount Isa, Cloncurry and families of the Northwest region of Q...
Dec 12, 2024•58 min•Season 6Ep. 16
Thanks for listening to our podcast chat this week. We’re still on our ‘journey’ to Mount Isa - and if that’s not your jam maybe you know someone from Queensland or up around Mount Isa that might be keen to hear our chats with these families and schools? We’d love you to share it if you have a spare minute. In today’s episode I’m with Jane Morris who is quite possibly the warmest Dean of Boarding you’ll ever meet. Jane has been at Stuartholme in Brisbane for almost 4 years though has been involv...
Dec 09, 2024•26 min•Season 6Ep. 15
I love my job. I need to tell you that because today’s chat was with someone who clearly loves their job too. To understand what I do, you need to understand that when families undertake to explore a boarding school education for their child it is, arguably, the most important decision they’ll make on behalf of their children. My job is to ensure they have access to the most authentic, hands on information possible - I go beyond the brochure and deep dive to find what makes each school tick. My ...
Nov 21, 2024•32 min•Season 6Ep. 14
Today’s chat is with the Director of Boarding at Brisbane’s St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School, Lesa Fowler. Lesa is a familiar figure in the remote and rural areas of Queensland having overseen the education of so many girls from these regions. She’s been nurturing and encouraging her boarders for 16 years and it’s a position she loves. St Margaret’s was established as a boarding school back in 1895 making it one of our country’s oldest boarding schools. Having grown over the years to accommod...
Nov 19, 2024•24 min•Season 6Ep. 13
Welcome back to Destination Boarding and our series of conversations where we introduce you to the schools that are heading up to Mount Isa with us, along with a few of the families that call the north west of Queensland and the Territory home. Today I had the loveliest conversation with Tom Floyd from John Paul College in Brisbane. Tom is a veteran of the Australian boarding school landscape having begun his career in boarding in 1984 at Guildford Grammar in WA - he was there for over 20 years....
Nov 14, 2024•28 min•Season 6Ep. 12
We’re back with another episode of A Road To Mount Isa and today I’m chatting with Head of Boarding at St Peters Lutheran College, Stuart Delaney. I was hit by the fan girl syndrome again with this chat… and if you can’t imagine why I would be fan girling over a conversation with a boarding school then let me throw a few names your way….. Ariana Titmus, Mollie O’Callaghan, Jack Cartwright, Shayna Jack, Elijah Wittington, and the rockstar of Australian Swimming coaches, Dean Boxall. You guessed i...
Nov 12, 2024•33 min•Season 6Ep. 11
Hello again. Most of you listening to this series where we introduce you to the amazing schools that are coming with us to Mount Isa will know just how beautiful Toowoomba is - best known as the garden city and only an hour or two from Brisbane. Today we’re chatting with Sharon Currie, Head of Boarding at The Glennie School which is located in the heart of Toowoomba. Sharon and her team lead their boarders with an optimism and confidence that seems to infect every area of boarding life not least...
Nov 07, 2024•25 min•Season 6Ep. 10
Welcome back to our series ‘A ROAD TO MOUNT ISA’. This week we are having the most authentic real time chat with Genevieve McDonald. Gen is from Cloncurry in north west Queensland - well about 40 minutes south of Cloncurry on their family cattle station Brightlands. However, I caught up with Gen while she was at mini school at Gregory - about 6 hours north west of her home. It was a hot day up north and she’d just had to do a bit of mechanical engineering to get the generator started again to en...
Nov 05, 2024•30 min•Season 6Ep. 9
