Keep Knocking: Jackson Dowling and the Courage to Do Hard Things

Shannon Crocker is a mum of three boys, a farmer near Muckadilla in Queensland and the woman behind @acountrymum. She and her husband both went to boarding school. When their eldest started in Year 7, Shannon found out what boarding felt like from the other end of the drive home.Amanda and Shannon talk about choosing a school when boarding runs in the family, getting through that first term and why the goodbye after the first visit can be the hardest. They also talk about what happens when day students and boarders spend time in each other’s homes, from a Gold Coast sleepover to a week on the Crockers’ farm.In this episode:The little changes at home after drop-off, from the dinner table to the laundry.What Shannon and Phil wanted for their boys, and why wider subject and activity choices mattered.What rural boarders bring to their schools, and the day parents who make them feel welcome.The messages, visits and friendships that helped Shannon find her feet as a boarder mum.LinksFollow Shannon on Instagram at @acountrymum.Read Amanda’s The Ultimate Collaboration: Rural Boarders x Agricultural Advocacy.

What happens when keeping your children at school means living apart from your husband and leaving the community you call home?For Camooweal mum of three Haylie Hill, that question became a practical decision about what her family could afford. After a prolonged wet season disrupted their contracting income, the cost of boarding and travelling to see the children became increasingly difficult to manage. Haylie moved to Charters Towers with the children so they could attend school as day students, while her husband continued working away.In this warm and honest conversation, Haylie shares the benefits of being there for her children’s everyday lives, alongside the work of running two households, missing her husband and staying connected to home.Amanda and Haylie discuss:Raising and educating children remotely while helping run a contracting business.Choosing face-to-face secondary schooling to suit the children’s needs.The boarding costs that extend beyond the fees: travel, fuel and time together.Weighing up relocation and the reality of maintaining two households.Watching the children gain opportunities while knowing how much they miss their dad.What a small community loses when parents can no longer be there to volunteer and help.How financial support could have changed the family’s decision.Haylie’s experience speaks directly to the mission of the Spirit of the Bush Scholarship Foundation: helping make boarding affordable so families can retain their home base and continue contributing to rural and remote communities. Amanda also shares her vision for supporting families through the emotional transition into boarding.Resources and connectionsVisit The Boarding School Collective for family resources, boarding school information and upcoming events.To enquire about supporting the Spirit of the Bush Scholarship Foundation, email [email protected] Spirit of the Bush Scholarship FoundationFollow or subscribe to Letters from Home so you hear when a new episode arrives. If this conversation sounds like someone you know, please share it with them.

Willa Arantz loved boarding school as a girl. When her son Eddie began his own boarding journey, she hoped he would find the same friendships, independence and sense of belonging.During his first term, her father died. An MRI the following day found a brain tumour, with later biopsy results confirming cancer. Around her surgery, the family also lost their beloved dog and learnt they would have to move out of their home of ten years.In this warm and candid conversation, the Racine co-owner and artist shares how she navigated treatment with one child at home and another away at school, why she wanted Eddie to keep boarding, and how painting has become part of her recovery.We talk about:• A country childhood in Murrurundi and friendships formed at boarding school.• Choosing boarding while living in Orange, with local schooling options available.• Bereavement, brain cancer and the upheaval of leaving the family home.• The pastoral care and counselling that supported Eddie.• Her Battle Anthems playlist and determination to keep going.• Returning to art and rebuilding confidence after surgery.Explore schooling options and upcoming events with The Boarding School Collective.See Willa’s artwork and follow @willa.arantz on Instagram.Follow or subscribe to Letters from Home to hear each new episode.

What does raising and educating eight children look like when home is a sheep station in far western New South Wales and your nearest town is two hours away?For Sarah Harris, it's simply life.Sarah and her husband Rhys are raising their eight children in the outback. Three daughters are now at boarding school, three children are learning through Broken Hill School of the Air and two little boys are still at home.In this episode of Letters from Home, Sarah takes Amanda inside the extraordinary logistics of remote motherhood.They talk about the purpose-built schoolroom across the paddock, employing governesses, the realities of School of the Air and the term Sarah found herself back in the schoolroom with a newborn baby.Sarah also shares why she committed to driving into Mildura each week so her children could participate in sport and how that investment paid dividends years later when her daughters arrived at boarding school with confidence, sporting skills and an immediate way to connect.And then there is boarding itself.Sarah speaks candidly about how hard it was when her eldest daughter first left home, why it has felt different with the daughters who followed, and the confidence and independence she can now see growing in her girls.It's a warm and wonderfully understated conversation about the things remote mothers simply get on with, the opportunities they work incredibly hard to create and the complicated business of raising children to eventually leave you.LINKSThe Boarding School Collective boardingschoolco.com.au Follow Sarah and her family's outback life on Instagram @6.little.wildflowersBroken Hill School of the Air@brokenhill_schooloftheair

Laura Wilson loved boarding school. Thinking about sending her own children is proving a little more emotional.A mum of six, nurse by trade and partner to Jake in their Quilpie transport business, Laura joins Amanda for a warm, funny and very relatable conversation about country childhoods, family life and the opportunities we want for our children.From growing up around Walgett to boarding at Fairholme in Toowoomba, Laura reflects on lifelong friendships, parents who worked tirelessly to make it possible, and the goodbye hugs that had everyone in tears.Now raising her own family in outback Queensland, she’s beginning to consider what boarding might look like from the other side. When Saturday sport can mean a 600-kilometre return trip with six children for two ten-minute games, access to opportunity takes on a whole new meaning.We chat about:Growing up with four siblings, motorbikes and room to roam.Loving boarding school while finding the thought of your own children leaving difficult.The distance, the family juggle and staying connected.Sport and the possibilities that excite Laura’s children.Comparing schools beyond the familiar names.The laughter, home-cooked meals and freedom Laura hopes her children remember.Come and meet us in CharlevilleOur first Charleville Pop-up is at Charleville RSL, 37–39 Watson Street:Sunday 18 October 2026, 2.30–5.30 pm.Monday 19 October 2026, 8.30 am–1.30 pm.Admission is free. Come along even if you already have a preferred school or are only beginning to explore.View the event and pre-register.Keep listeningWhat It Really Feels Like to Leave Home at 12: Amanda’s conversation with Annabel Ferrari.Explore moreVisit The Boarding School Collective for events, school information and resources for your family.Follow or subscribe to Letters from Home to hear each new episode as it drops.

In this episode of Letters from Home, Amanda speaks with Jackson Dowling, a Registered Nurse, Midwife and Flight Nurse with the Royal Flying Doctor Service, based in Dubbo.Growing up in Port Macquarie, Jackson was beginning to disengage from school when he decided to apply for a scholarship to attend The Scots College in Sydney. His first application was unsuccessful. Encouraged by a trusted mentor, he applied again and was awarded the opportunity that would change the direction of his life.Jackson speaks candidly about the culture shock of arriving at boarding school in Year 10, the academic ground he needed to make up and his decision to accept every piece of support available to him. He shares the importance of “embracing the suck factor”, digging in when things are difficult and learning that confidence often comes after we have proved to ourselves that we can persevere.We also discuss Jackson’s Aboriginal identity, the connections and questions boarding school encouraged him to explore, and the privilege he now feels serving rural, remote and Indigenous communities through his work.Today, Jackson is completing postgraduate studies in clinical paramedic practice. With nursing, midwifery, emergency medicine and aeromedical retrieval already behind him, his story is a powerful reminder that opportunities matter, but so does what we choose to do with them.Applying for a boarding scholarship and being turned downFinding the courage to apply againBeginning boarding school in Year 10Academic support, mentorship and belongingRemaining connected to home and cultureLearning to persevere through discomfortThe pathway from boarding school to the Royal Flying Doctor ServiceJackson’s advice for young people and families considering boardingFamilies beginning to explore boarding are warmly invited to meet schools, compare options and ask questions at our upcoming events:Charleville Boarding Schools Expo, 18 and 19 October 2026Mount Isa Boarding Schools Expo, 30 November 2026Pre-register for an ExpoThese events are designed for families who are still asking questions and wondering whether boarding school might give their children greater opportunities while allowing their family to remain living and working in the community they love.Continue Listening...What It Really Feels Like to Leave Home at 12: An Honest Conversation with My Daughter AnnabelLearn more about the Royal Flying Doctor ServiceLearn more about the Spirit of the Bush ScholarshipIn this episode Explore the possibilities of boarding school.

What happens when boarding school isn't simply about accessing a broader education, but about opening opportunities for a child that may be difficult to access at home?In this episode of Letters from Home, Amanda talks with Heidi Shoecraft, who came to Australia from Denmark as a 19-year-old agricultural exchange student and built a life with her husband Derek and their three children near Theodore in Central Queensland.Heidi shares the family's introduction to boarding school and the very different questions they faced when considering boarding for their daughter Maia, who has mild cerebral palsy affecting the left side of her body.They talk about preparing a child with a physical disability for boarding, asking schools the right questions, trusting boarding staff, friendships, independence and knowing when your child is genuinely ready.But this is also a conversation about opportunity.Boarding school has given Maia access to regular athletics training and specialist coaching as she pursues her love of discus and an extraordinary dream...one day competing at the Paralympics.Heidi also shares how Maia inspired her own seven-year journey back to university to become an exercise physiologist, and why access to allied health professionals remains such an important issue for rural families.Mentioned in this episodeThe Boarding School Collective – find information about boarding schools, resources for families and register for our upcoming Boarding Schools Expo Popups in Charleville, 18–19 October, and Mount Isa, 30 November.For lots of practical tips around children, development and everyday life, Amanda also recommends following her daughter Annabel, an occupational therapist, on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/theotcollective_tamworth/ @theotcollective_tamworthAnd don't forget to follow or subscribe to Letters from Home wherever you listen to your podcasts so you never miss an episode.

In this episode of Letters from Home, Amanda sits down with Jess Redfern, founder of SAVVI the Label, entrepreneur, mum of three little ones and former boarder, for a warm and wonderfully colourful conversation about opportunity, independence, motherhood and backing yourself.Jess shares the remarkable story of deciding in Year 8 that she wanted to go to boarding school, sitting her parents down at the dining room table with the paperwork she'd printed and an interview she'd already organised.It wasn't a pathway her family had previously considered and it required real sacrifice. But boarding school gave Jess something she now recognises as pivotal. It allowed her to step outside the identity she'd grown up with and discover who she was on her own terms.Jess talks about the networks and experiences boarding opened up, the independence of living away from home and the confidence that followed her into adult life. We also explore why, despite living in Wellington with secondary options nearby, she and husband Jack are considering boarding for their own children, not because it's simply what Jess did, but because of the broader opportunities and perspectives it can offer.We follow Jess's wonderfully varied entrepreneurial journey through fitness, wellness, disability services and now SAVVI the Label, before discovering the heart behind SAVVI the Foundation and its grants supporting women to take their own next bold step.And with three children under three, Jess also shares what she hopes her daughter learns from watching her build a business alongside motherhood, and what she hopes her boys learn about the strength and capability of women.Find Jess and SAVVIFollow @savvithelabel on Instagram.Discover the work of @savvithefoundation.Coming up with The Boarding School CollectiveWe're heading to Charleville on 18–19 October for our first Boarding Schools Expo Popup in the region, followed by Mount Isa on 30 November.Meet boarding schools face-to-face, ask the questions that matter to your family and discover the opportunities available to your children.Register free via The Boarding School Collective.

What does boarding school really look like when home is a station north of Alice Springs and school is in Toowoomba?In this episode of Letters from Home, Amanda talks with Sally Muenster, a qualified teacher, mother of four and, with husband Dan, owner and manager of Yambah Station.After fourteen years on a property north of Bourke, Sally and Dan followed a long-held dream and moved their family to the Northern Territory. But their eldest son was already settled at boarding school in Toowoomba, and their next child was preparing to join him.Rather than allow distance to undo a schooling decision that was working for their family, they found a way to make it work.Amanda and Sally talk about:Life and education on a station and the Alice Springs School of the Air communityWhy Sally chooses to be in the schoolroom during each child's final year before boardingMoving thousands of kilometres further away after choosing a boarding schoolThe flights, driving and logistics involved in getting three children to school in ToowoombaWhy boarding provides opportunities that simply aren't available in the schoolroom at homeThe emotional reality of leaving your children on the other side of AustraliaSally's mid-term visit “non-negotiable”Recognising when a boarding child is beginning to disconnect from homeThe boarding parent community and families supporting one anotherThe unexpected joy for parents of getting off the station and becoming part of another communityWhy schools need to understand the difference between country and genuinely remote boardersThe independence and responsibility of station children versus the restrictions of boarding lifeWhy access to boarding school can enable rural and remote families to remain living and working where they areWhat it could mean for rural and remote communities if boarding school became inaccessible to familiesA warm, practical and deeply relatable conversation about separation, opportunity, connection and why sometimes sending children away is what makes it possible for a family to stay.

How does a city girl from inner Melbourne become a farmer's wife in Central West NSW?In this episode of Letters From Home, Amanda Ferrari sits down with Georgie Cavanagh, co-founder of luxury Australian linen brand Carlotta & Gee, to explore the unexpected journey that began with what was meant to be, one year at boarding school.Together they discuss:Georgie's Year 9 boarding experience as a city student.The friendships that introduced her to rural Australia.How boarding school fostered independence and adaptability.Building Carlotta & Gee from a handful of pre-orders into a luxury international brand.Why she's now embracing rural life and raising her own family on a farm.Her thoughts on one day sending her own children to boarding school.This is a conversation about courage, curiosity and how life's biggest turning points are often the ones we never see coming.Learn more about Carlotta & GeeCarlotta & GeeIf you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review and share it with another family navigating their own boarding school journey.