Welcome to Letters from Home, a podcast dedicated to Australian boarding families. Hosted by Amanda Ferrari, the show explores all aspects of boarding life - from packing for the first time to life as a boarder & beyond.
Amanda interviews graduates who share how boarding shaped their lives, with families about their journey to and through boarding school, speaks with schools about their unique programs, & hosts an annual "Nailing Homesickness" miniseries to help new boarders. Our podcast is essential listening for boarding families and staff, we welcome your feedback, reviews, & ratings.
She loved boarding school. Sending her own kids is another story.
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 Charleville
Our 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 (https://boardingschoolco.com.au/2026_expos/charleville/).
Keep listening
What It Really Feels Like to Leave Home at 12: Amanda’s conversation with Annabel Ferrari (https://boardingschoolco.com.au/what-it-really-feels-like-to-leave-home-at-12-conversation-with-annabel/).
Explore more
Visit The Boarding School Collective (https://boardingschoolco.com.au/) for events, school information and resources for your family.
Follow or subscribe to Letters from Home to hear each new episode as it drops.
29 Sept 2026
Keep Knocking: Jackson Dowling and the Courage to Do Hard Things
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 down
Finding the courage to apply again
Beginning boarding school in Year 10
Academic support, mentorship and belonging
Remaining connected to home and culture
Learning to persevere through discomfort
The pathway from boarding school to the Royal Flying Doctor Service
Jackson’s advice for young people and families considering boarding
Families 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 2026 (https://boardingschoolco.com.au/2026_expos/charleville/)
Mount Isa Boarding Schools Expo, 30 November 2026 (https://boardingschoolco.com.au/2026_expos/mount-isa-pop-up/)
Pre-register for an Expo (https://boardingschoolco.com.au/for-families/expo-pre-registration/)
These 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 Annabel (https://boardingschoolco.com.au/what-it-really-feels-like-to-leave-home-at-12-conversation-with-annabel/)
Learn more about the Royal Flying Doctor Service (https://www.flyingdoctor.org.au/)
Learn more about the Spirit of the Bush Scholarship (https://boardingschoolco.com.au/for-families/scholarships/spirit-of-the-bush/)
In this episode Explore the possibilities of boarding school.
22 Sept 2026
Letting Her Go, Watching Her Fly.
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 episode
The 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/ (https://www.instagram.com/theotcollective_tamworth/) @theotcollective_tamworth
And don't forget to follow or subscribe to Letters from Home wherever you listen to your podcasts so you never miss an episode.
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Spotify
5.0 / 5
12 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 45 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
63
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
68
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