From the Principal

National Boarding Week at GSG

We are in the midst of celebrating National Boarding Week, 2026!

Great Southern Grammar is proud to be one of 200 boarding schools in Australia. As a boarding school, we offer regional, rural and remote students the chance to access quality education close to home.

Behind the scenes, our dedicated boarding staff provides consistent care, guidance and reassurance for students and their families.

Well known in the community, it is my firm belief that our boarders are the heartbeat of the school. They shape culture, seen and unseen, and uphold the continuous spirit of this place.

This year's National Boarding Week theme is Echoes of Home - a celebration of the culture, tradition, memory, and community that shape our boarders every day, and in every way.

In boarding, home doesn’t disappear - it evolves. It echoes through the foods our students miss, the languages they speak after lights out, the music they play, the stories they share, and the rituals they hold close.

 

Echoes of Home is an invitation to reflect on how identity travels with our boarders and how boarding schools can honour, celebrate, and sustain those echoes while helping young people grow into who they’re becoming. (ABSA 2026)

 

A few reflections from our students:

This year’s theme Echoes of Home for me means family, culture, and the things that remind you of where you come from, like going crabbing with my cousins or playing footy for the Derby Tigers.

- Zane Cairns, Boarding Captain 

At the start of my boarding journey, I didn’t like the fact that I wasn’t on the farm, but as time went on, I found ways to manage this by getting back home on weekends when I could. Nowadays I still miss the farm, but a weekend in boarding, going on recreation and spending time with mates, is good too. 

- Tristan Harris, Year Ten Boarder

I have to say boarding has given me the opportunity to meet so many new people, and make so many memories that I otherwise wouldn’t make at home.

- Evita Rumble, Year Eleven Boarder

My favourite thing about boarding is how it’s like a big sleepover with all your friends. There is always something exciting, funny, or just weird going on. It always makes me laugh and smile. Whether it’s a fashion parade with boys in dresses or if we are just trying to scare each other by hiding behind doors, it's always a good time with your friends.

- Saffron Tapscott, Year Eight Boarder

Please join me in celebrating our boarding community this week and beyond.

Go well

Mr Mathew Irving | Principal