The On Board Program – helping regional boys transition into boarding
Published on: 21 July 2022
During the holidays Residential Year Group Co-Ordinator Todd Harnwell and his family toured around the state visiting future boarding students as part of the On Board program as well as visiting the Gascoyne, catching up with past, current and future boarders of Christ Church.
First stop on the Harnwells’ travels was Wahroonga Station to catch up with the Tubby family. This vast and beautiful station is often host to a range of Christ Church families on their northern adventures and the Tubby family are always most gracious and obliging to those who stop by. The Tubby’s currently have two boys boarding at the School with their eldest son, Liam, graduating in 2019. The connection to the School is very strong with the boys’ father Cameron also being a past boarder at the School.
Next the Harnwells caught up with current Year 10 boarder Ollie and his family, who run the iconic Dirk Hartog Island experience. Pristine beaches, stunning sunsets and amazing wildlife make this one of the most sought-after holiday destinations in Australia, if not the world.
The Winning Bush Gymkhana is the highlight on the calendar for many station families and workers in the Gascoyne region. The event is two days of fun, action and fierce competition with horse riding, tin-horse (motorbike) riding and games for all ages.
The Christ Church community is always strongly represented at this event with a number of past, current and future boarders in attendance. But don’t let their friendships and allegiances fool you, all competitors take the races very seriously with station pride and bragging rights on the line! This year’s event saw Year 7 boarders Dusty Walker and Levi Thompson take out Champion Sports Boy and Runner Up respectively – a fantastic achievement!
Following Winning, the Harnwells ventured further north to visit the Thompson family at Wyloo Station. The Thompsons have a strong connection to Christ Church with Levi currently in Year 7 and his brothers Blake and Sam enrolled for 2024 and 2027.
The boys’ grandfather Glen, is an old boy and was joined at Winning and Wyloo by old boy boarder Mark ‘Gecko’ Rosenberg (’53), who regaled the family with stories of the school during his time, including a visit from the local tuckshop vendor on his scooter at morning tea, swimming lessons at the Claremont Baths and a half-day off to celebrate the enrolment of the 150th student at the School. During their time at Wyloo, the Harnwells were treated to a mini Gymkhana to hone their skills for next year!
