Country Schooling - Time For A Treechange

Tired of living in the big city? The current trend for city people to swap traffic, pollution, stress and high property prices for family time, open spaces, affordable housing and a better quality of life is definitely on the rise. We look at country schools that are seeing the trend first-hand, and two families who have made the move out of the city.

Life in the big city is increasingly busy — often, it seems it’s a constant cycle of waking up, driving a long distance to work, dealing with the stress of work and cramming a lot into the day, driving home in traffic, being too tired to talk to your loved ones or make dinner, collapsing on the lounge in a state of exhaustion, then spending a sleepless night worrying about all you have to do the next day. Sounds depressing doesn’t it?

What about spending more time with the family before they all grow up? And getting up when it’s daylight and actually returning home when it’s still light? Saving money on petrol because you’re not growing old in peak-hour traffic? Having the energy to enjoy life? Filling your life with meaningful tasks and waking up excited and happy rather than with a sense of dread about your long day ahead? And to hear the refreshing sounds of peace and quiet, instead of the relentless drone of the traffic! Parking easily when you want to go somewhere? To do things you want to do, not have to do? To refocus on what’s important — living, not just getting by day to day? It’s time to stop and smell the roses, not just pollution!

For many Australians, a treechange or seachange is no longer a dream. During 2005, more than 100,000 people moved either to the coast or the country and during 2006 that figure rose to more than 150,000, and a further 300,000 are considering it.

Bernard Salt, social trends commentator found that more than two million people here were interested in a seachange or treechange. A recent survey indicated that more than 68 per cent of the population would like to escape the rat race. But what is causing this focus on lifestyle change?

Many people yearn for a return to the fundamentals, permission to stop and smell the roses, to live a life less ordinary. So perhaps it’s time to take stock and envisage yourself and your family in a new lifestyle and escape the rat race through either a seachange or treechange.

Here’s one family who abandoned the bright lights of Sydney for their very own piece of tranquillity in the Blue Mountains, and three schools who happily welcome people from the city to experience a taste of ‘country life’.

New England Girls School
One of Australia’s oldest and largest girls’ boarding schools, New England Girls’ School is well-placed to cater for families relocating from the city to the bush.
Situated on a sprawling 50-hectare park-like campus, NEGS, as it has been known since its foundation in 1895, provides the safety and security that parents seek for their children, while offering a high quality education, at least equal to that of its
city counterparts.
Smaller than average class sizes feature, while the students who reside on campus help create a communal feel that is unique to NEGS. Many of the highly qualified staff are themselves treechangers.
What girl wouldn’t like to learn to ride a horse or stable their own horse at school? At NEGS’ on-campus Equestrian Centre, riding is part of school life for students from Kindergarten to Year 12, with Equine
Studies even part of the curriculum in Years 11 and 12.
NEGS principal Mark Harrison believes another aspect of his school that makes it unique is the diverse background and cultures of its students.
“We have girls here from all over Australia and beyond,” he said.
“Almost every capital city is represented, we have students from coastal regions between Far North Queensland and Victoria, Central Australia, outback NSW and regional centres in NSW and Queensland.
“We also have a number of international students from countries as diverse as
China, Japan, Papua New Guinea and the United States.”
Mr Harrison said one definite trend that was emerging was the flow of students from metropolitan centres — especially Sydney — to NEGS.
“We are finding that increasingly, families are looking for a safer alternative to city living for their daughter and NEGS is ideally placed to provide that.
“Once they come and experience our school for themselves they soon realise
that from an educational perspective, we compare more than favourably to
city schools.
“Then add to that the diverse experience that we offer outside the classroom and I really think we have a big advantage over our city counterparts.
“We have girls who grew up in Sydney’s eastern suburbs who have won ribbons leading cattle at the Royal Easter Show. Another student from Sydney’s Northern Beaches is one of the top shooters in the school’s Target Rifle team. And one from Kuranda in Far North Queensland took up archery while a resident at NEGS. She is now a member of the Australian Under 18 archery team and is ranked as one of the nation’s top female archers.”
Both NEGS middle and senior schools, as well as its co-educational junior school, St John’s, has also seen enrolments boosted as a result of the migration of families from metropolitan areas to Armidale.
These families are attracted by affordable real estate, employment opportunities, open spaces and a more relaxed lifestyle.
“Armidale is quite a unique regional city,” Mr Harrison said. “Thanks to its tradition as a prime sheep and cattle grazing area, coupled with a large and thriving education sector, it really is quite cosmopolitan for a country town.
“It has a quite eclectic culture and thriving café and restaurant scene, while the nearby gorge country is spectacular. These features are really attractive to young families looking to escape the city and all of its hazards and temptations.
“It’s still only a trickle at this stage but I can see it turning into a flood in the not too distant future. As a school, NEGS is ready to provide the kind of well-rounded educational experience that they could only dream of in the city.” 

The Blue Mountains
Lisa Doust works from home as a magazine editor and has lived overseas and in Sydney’s trendy beachside suburb of Bondi on and off for 18 years. She had also lived in Broken Hill, in outback New South Wales.
A change in family circumstances left her pondering whether a ‘treechange’ would be a good move for her family — her two sons, eight-year-old Talle and two-year-old James. “I wanted to give my kids a country experience,” Lisa said. “When you have young kids, you want to the focus to be
on them.”
In Bondi, Lisa even had to pay a parking meter just to get her son to school. “Bondi was becoming a single person’s suburb. I felt like a complete change and wanted to be surrounded by nature.”
Lisa contemplated the move for around six months and in December last year, Lisa and her boys said farewell to Bondi’s waves, trendsetters and city smog and moved to Katoomba, at the top of the Blue Mountains, where they now live in a cottage. Their new town is home to the Three Sisters, and is a popular bushwalking area.
The family has very good friends who live in the mountains. “My son thought it was a good idea, he’s very sensitive to his environment, he likes breathing fresh air.
He now attends Korowal School (see page 218), a private school in Leura.
“It’s a really beautiful school, loosely
Steiner-based, on private land and surrounded by gum trees. It has a big play area and a great curriculum of English, music and art, with a nice mix of academics and art.
“And the school goes right through from Kindergarten to Year 12, so the kids can stay all the way through.
“It’s a bit freer than public schools, or other private schools — there’s no uniform, small classes and the students call their teachers by their first names. In my son’s Year 2 class there’s only 13 kids, so the kids receive excellent attention.
“In just three weeks, his teacher has really understood my son’s personality and idiosyncracies, which doesn’t really happen when there’s 24 kids in the class.
“The kids really receive a better level of attention.”
For Lisa, the advantages of the Blue Mountains were clear — it’s more peaceful than Sydney, as Katoomba has just 10,000 people.
“It feels very safe here. You can park wherever you want, it’s a more relaxed
way of life. Sydney, especially with kids is too frantic, but here, to get from A to B — no drama.”
Being in the mountains means that the conveniences of the city — department stores, large hospitals, concerts plus the beach when the surf beckons are just a short drive away — Katoomba is only 100 kilometres from the city, conveniently accessed with the Great Western Highway and the M4 and has its own railway station.
“If you want the city, it only takes one hour to get to Parramatta Road — if you want a city fix, you just jump in the car and go and get it. It’s a good combination — country living with access to the city. “It’s exquisitely beautiful here.”
Another advantage of living in the mountains for Lisa and her boys is the affordable housing, compared to Sydney’s high prices to buy and now, rent. “If you want to own your home and the security it provides, you can pay $400,000 for a higher-end home here.
“I’d absolutely recommend moving here, I’m trying to get everyone I know to move here!” 

Armidale – the heart of New England
While city-based families are increasingly making a lifestyle decision to leave the rat race behind for the more relaxed atmosphere of regional towns and cities, one feature of living in a metropolitan centre that many are not willing to compromise is  quality education for their children.
In Armidale, on the picturesque New England Tablelands in northern NSW, treechangers are spoiled for choice. There are three independent boarding schools, three public and private high schools and myriad small, medium and large private and public primary schools, plus the University of New England (UNE).
The Armidale School
According to Pip Warrick, registrar at The Armidale School, often, when people are first considering a move, they first think of schools for their children.
What do you think are the positive aspects of country schooling?
“For country people, having access to their children is vital. This gives them the ability to be involved in their children’s activities, watch them play sport, attend their concerts and school functions. Schools in the country do not suffer from space constraints, thus they feature a wide array of sporting facilities either on campus or within minutes’ drive or a safe walk. In teaching independence, confidence and initiative, students can be challenged in the outdoors with ease of access to bush environments where students are able to test their limits.”
Have you seen an increase in the number of parents moving from the city to your area?
“Yes, very definitely. The treechange generation sees Armidale as a viable and most attractive destination for their families and business. In many cases it is the lure of education that brings families to Armidale. Securing a place for their children in a school is often the first consideration in their decision to move and is cited as the dominant reason for moving.”
Where do they come from eg Sydney, or interstate?
“Principally Sydney at present. Families are looking to recover family time that in Sydney has been spent commuting. Business relocation is easy and workable given advances in technology.”
What do you think country schools offer over city schools?
“Size is the obvious difference. Here ‘everybody is somebody’ — all the staff know each student. Due to their smaller populations, country schools have the ability to cater for individuals from widely diverse backgrounds and varying needs and aspirations. There are opportunities for each individual student. Their chances of being chosen for a team, or a musical ensemble or drama production are much greater and a larger percentage of students are able to be involved. Thus the outcomes for the individual student are enhanced. There is ease of access to sporting facilities, outdoor bush locations.
Country schools cater for the full socio-economic spectrum of families from
a wide range of backgrounds — city, country, regional and overseas.”
Why are these people moving to the country?
“The treechangers want to spend more time with their kids and cut out the commuting time. Cities are becoming difficult places to live and work, especially with children and for those parents who value time with their children a move to regional Australia makes good social, educational and economic sense.”
What do you think is the appeal of Armidale? 
“Armidale is a university city with a true education focus and a cultural centre, more a regional centre than country town. It is sophisticated, intelligent and intellectual. Armidale is one hour from Sydney with regular daily flights, two hours from the beach and surrounded by beautiful national parks. Real estate for commensurate housing is far cheaper and there is a safe, clean environment.
“It is a vibrant centre with a welcoming atmosphere. Set high on the northern tablelands, it has a climate and surrounds that are unique. As a university city, Armidale has a diverse community which enjoys the cosmopolitan atmosphere provided by beautiful pedestrian malls, al fresco dining, vibrant monthly markets in the mall, regular artistic events and cultural festivals.
“Armidale and New England offer vast opportunities for business, as well as lifestyle opportunities in educational, social, cultural and sporting activities. A total package is available for families given the diversity of these opportunities. Armidale presents an intelligent, solid future in a clean, safe, bracing environment. It is conveniently located midway between Sydney and Brisbane.
“It has significant global links. Through the University of New England and TAS’ membership of the Round Square group of schools there is a real global perspective to education in Armidale. In 2007 TAS boys will learn to fly, work with Mother Theresa’s Sisters in Kolkata, hike the Kokoda Track, sing in the Sydney Opera House, play cricket and rugby in New Zealand, go on student exchange overseas and in Australia, paddle the Hawkesbury river.
“In embracing information technology, Armidale is able to meet the needs of those people who need access to expanding global industries. A number of these hi-tech industries have moved to Armidale and are conducting 24-hour global businesses.”
Will and Anna Caldwell and their two young daughters Charlotte and Lucinda are indicative of a growing number of families making the move to Armidale.
“We were fed up with the hustle and bustle of Sydney and we had no time to enjoy life and a growing family. In Sydney we were spending more time working than living and everything seemed to be a compromise. To buy a home in the city we would have had to significantly downsize or move further out.”
Now settled in Armidale with Will teaching maths at The Armidale School, they are delighted. “Everyone is so friendly and we have overcome one of our concerns very quickly — how to make new friends.”

Snowy Mountains
Mention Jindabyne and many of us connect it to winter trips to the snow. But this thriving town is proving to be a popular choice for people opting for a ‘treechange’. Perhaps their first experience is of the town at snow season, and its pleasant atmosphere draws them back on a more permanent basis.
Joan Herringer is registrar at the Snowy Mountains Grammar School. “Although Jindabyne is a town in the country, because of the tourist industry it is not a typical country town. It boasts excellent facilities such as restaurants, cinema, NSW Sport and Rec. facilities, as well as all the lake and mountain activities. There is more to Jindabyne than an access point to the snow. Its potential in summer is equally attractive, but far less utilised as yet. The existence of SMGS has certainly been a major drawcard for families who had elected for independent education in Sydney,” Ms Herringer said.
At a school such as Snowy Mountains Grammar School, set in an alpine area
and which has 170 students (day and boarders), Ms Herringer sees the positive aspects of country schooling on a daily basis.
“Students grow up in a safer and more healthy environment and therefore they can be given more freedom and independence. Also, the values system in the country is more ‘down to earth’, giving the students a better grounding for future life. There are less materialistic distractions — money is less of a critical factor in peer relationships.
“Students develop an appreciation and love for the outdoors, which can lead to more healthy lifestyles when they become adults,” she said.
Ms Herringer has seen an increase in the number of parents moving from the city to the area. “Certainly, Jindabyne is growing as a result of families moving from the city to take advantage of the beautiful country, without losing a great deal in lifestyle expectation. There is a strong influx from Sydney particularly.
“Our advertising slogan states ‘Look what we have got in our school playground’. The proximity to so many natural features and  pastimes is a major advantage.
“The smaller school and class size is crucial, benefitting especially those students who can get ‘lost’ in the middle. In a school our size there is no middle. Class sizes and the total population are so small that every child is known extremely well. There is ‘nowhere to hide!’”
The ability of parents to work remotely is providing lots of opportunities to move to places such as Jindabyne.
“Jobs are not easy to come by, but more jobs are not linked to location through modern technology, so parents can attain the best of both worlds.
“Affordable housing is also a large drawcard, but the ability to buy personal space is perhaps more so.
“Parents are preferring to have their children ‘play’ in the lake and mountain environment, rather than on street corners or in shopping malls.”

Jindabyne
Median house price: $346,000, region $260,000, units $225,000, region $240,000
Population: 8615
Seven per cent of Jindabyne’s population attends infants/primary school
12 per cent of Jindabyne’s population attends secondary education
Source: www.domain.com.au
(12 months to April 2007).