Held at the Dubbo Regional Theatre and Convention Centre, the annual event shwocased 36 boarding schools across the nation, including Canberra Girls Grammar School, Scots – All Saints Bathurst, Farrer Memorial Agricultural High School and more.

Amity, 14 and Alyssa, 18, attend New England Girls’ School in Armidale. Alyssa commenced at NEGS in 2015 and two years later Amity began her boarding school journey.

The sisters agreed they have been given a great opportunity to further their education and pathways into life.

Once you get there and get through the homesickness it’s fine.

Alyssa Coxon

Amity said she has been very lucky having her older sister there to help her transition.

“I feel like I’ve changed a lot (since commencing at NEGS), before I was very shy,” Alyssa said.

Both girls have made a lot of friends from across the country and are enjoying their time. Their advice to anyone thinking of attending a boarding school was to give it a go.

“It’s not for everyone, but once you get there and get through the homesickness it’s fine,” Alyssa said.

There are 300 students at NEGS, including 160 boarders and while the girls don’t get home very often they are kept very busy with extra curricular activities, including netball which Amity plays on most weekends.

The girls said when they do get home it was “very special” to see their Mother and Father.

“You appreciate family a lot more,” Amity said.

Boarding Schools Expo co-organiser Sharanne Turnbull said everything had been going very well and that many families pre-registered to attend.

“There’s been families from Bourke, Cobar, Nyngan, Tooraweenah and more,” she said.