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Narrator (Jenni):
Just a stone’s throw from the South Australian and Victorian state border is Bordertown on the Limestone Coast.
If you had to paint a picture of the quintessential inland country town, Bordertown would be it, with its sprawling farmland, wild mallee bushland and majestic gum trees.
And while it's peaceful and serene out here, come 8.30, it's an entirely different story with children arriving from surrounding districts for a day of fun and learning.
Hi, I'm Jenni. I'm a teacher here at Carol Murray Children's Centre.
Jenni:
I am usually the teacher with glasses or the one with the purple hair.
I wanted to become a Kindy teacher because I really enjoy the way that children learn at the stage of life. It's very free and it's just a really, really curious time of their lives.
Welcome to my Kindy. This is where I teach 40 wonderful little people. Not only it is it a Kindy, but it's also an integrated childcare site as well.
Narrator (Jenni):
So I did all the different areas. Kindy, I just went, “This is it.”
As a cohort, we have plenty of things to attend to throughout the day, especially in our huge outdoor play area where kids like to explore. And of course we have to feed the chickens and check for eggs before we take a break and have a fruit snack ourselves.
Country kids are really chilled in their play. They talk about seeding, they talk about farming, harvesting time, all those sorts of things. Some children enjoy creating works of art, while others build a fortress in the nature play area.
We sometimes even go for a walk around the block to say hi to our friendly neighbours.
Today it's a special day; it's June's birthday.
Children:
[singing] Happy Birthday, dear June.
June:
That makes me feel so young, children.
Jenni:
I really love that I get to be a part of each child's life.
Kindy is the first time a lot of them are coming into an educational setting and you get to be part of all those light bulb moments. It's really special.
Doing my job makes me feel really fulfilled. It doesn't matter how I could have been feeling when I come through the door, they start talking to you and you just forget everything that might have happened before.
Susie is the Centre Director here, my boss and mentor. She's been working in regional and remote communities for most of her career, so I thought I'd ask her for a bit of advice.
Jenni:
In your experience, what does country teaching offer that you can't get in metropolitan sites?
Susie:
The diversity of jobs that you can get. You might have a greater CV from being in the country.
Jenni, what was one of the most important factors when you were deciding or made the decision for you to come to the country?
Jenni:
Now I am full-time. I have converted to permanency and those are things I really wanted.
I was very surprised by the warmth of everyone in Bordertown and that honestly is what has kept me here.
Jenni:
What do you think are the biggest concerns for people coming out and how do we address those?
Susie:
I think for a lot of, especially early career teachers, they're worried that they're going to be isolated professionally. There's a critical mass of educators and leaders within this town that can provide connections. We try and do some social things on a regular basis, like going to the pub for dinner or going for lunch at a winery.
Jenni:
So, what do you look for in new staff?
Susie:
Someone who is flexible, can deal with change, and I'd say up for adventure because, really, being in the country is an adventure but it's a really good one.
Jenni:
A lot of people might know Bordertown as where you have a rest and you grab a bite to eat, but there is so much more going on here and I'm going to show you around.
Narrator (Jenni):
For instance, Bordertown is famous for a few things. It's home to Australia's only colony of white kangaroos. It's the birthplace of former Prime Minister Bob Hawke (make sure you get a selfie) and it's the gateway to South Australia and Victoria.
So one of my favourite things to do is to go walking and hiking out at Congo Rocks. It is a local secret,
so you've got to know somebody and I can't wait to show you.
People come here to hike, parents, families come here. I come here because I like to climb and it's very flat in Bordertown. It is very, very high as you can see, and we are so close to the sky.
Ideal weekend usually involves some sort of a hike, whether it's here or a little bit more south or east in terms of, like, Keith and Naracoorte, which are very close. But you can also go, like, 20 minutes over the road to Victoria and Halls Gap is not that far.
Another great spot to explore is the common walking trail at Mundulla. This sculptor trail is home to many kooky and curious creatures waiting to be discovered.
I have felt very welcomed and very safe here. People definitely look out for you and they… they want you to stay and they want you to be happy and fulfilled. They give you opportunities to make friends, to do the things you love.
Many people pass through Bordertown on their way to somewhere else, but for me, there’s so many great reasons to stay right here.
Someone phrased it as a tree change and I wanted to know what that meant. So I came and I visited and I thought, “I love this.” I love that every day is different.
[End transcript]
