Boarding in regional Queensland gives Louis Brown the best of both worlds

Many country families know the moment will eventually come when their child leaves home for school, taking with them a little piece of the farm and the family that raised them. In Louis Brown’s case, his parents set out to find a school that would capture the parts of country life he loves most.

Emma Brown, 43, lives with her husband, Lachlan, 35, and 10-year-old daughter, Frankie, at Pakaderinga in Queensland’s South Burnett region, 25 kilometres from Kingaroy. Things at home have definitely become a little quieter since their eldest, Louis, 12, began boarding at St Brendan’s College in the coastal town of Yeppoon earlier this year. Emma says she was nervous and excited about the change.

“They speak of the leap of faith and the deep trust needed to hand responsibility for your child to strangers, knowing they are going somewhere that will change their life in the most unimaginable and wonderful ways,” says Emma. She adds that it also takes deep trust to believe your child will be as loved and cared for as they would be at home.

She and Lachlan first considered St Brendan’s several years ago, after hearing a friend’s son speak highly of his time there. With a student population of 1060, nearly a third are part of the strong boarding community which appealed to them. However, with a drive of more than 500 kilometres, the couple considered other options, including moving.

When Louis was in Year 5, Emma and Lachlan attended one of St Brendan’s country dinners, which gave them the opportunity to meet the principal and head of boarding, and also to hear from families who already had boys at the school. 

In the end, they decided to make the trip to Yeppoon. And what a trip it is — it takes the Brown family about six hours to drive to St Brendan’s College. But with Louis now settling in well, the effort is clearly worth it.

This article appears in the 2026 Graziher Boarding Schools Guide. The full guide is now available online (best viewed in full-screen mode or here). Article continues below. 

“A country boys’ boarding school just offered the opportunity of meeting like-minded boys and families — other people who share the unique experience of growing up in rural and remote Australia,” says Emma.

A school community filled with people who understood their life on the land was crucial to this close-knit family. Lachlan is the third generation of the Brown family to be involved in Pakaderinga Pastoral, a 6000-head feedlot that began in 1988. He started working in the family business in 2013, helping with the construction of feedlot pens before eventually becoming co-director and general manager alongside his father and sister.

Emma, a teacher who grew up on the Sunshine Coast and went to university in Brisbane, worked between Kingaroy and Brisbane early in her teaching career. As their family and the demands of the business grew, she stepped into an administrative role at Pakaderinga Pastoral.

With a staff of 20, the feedlot is never short of hands, but the children love to be involved in the operation. “Louis prefers to jump in a machine, while Frankie enjoys working alongside the stock team,” says Emma.

Life without Louis at home has been an adjustment — a little tidier and quieter — but no less busy, as Frankie’s love of sport takes up most afternoons. When he is at home, Louis and Frankie spend their days exploring on motorbikes, swimming in the dams and enjoying the freedom a rural childhood affords.

Louis had just returned from Yeppoon for the first time when I spoke with Emma. While running errands in town with his mum, he quietly shared how much he was enjoying school — a moment that left her emotional. “We suspected this was the case, given his confidence, enthusiasm and the happy phone calls most evenings,” says Emma. “But to hear him say it was honestly a gift.”

The family had often been told boarding would be a joyful experience — it was once described to the Browns as “a year-long sleepover with your mates”.

“He is loving the boarding experience. Being our only son, the brotherhood that comes with boarding has been so impactful for him,” says Emma.

Louis is joined by boys from other rural and remote communities including Cunnamulla, Tennant Creek, Windorah and the Torres Strait Islands. “He has loved getting to know his boarding brothers, comparing experiences and hearing about where everyone has come from,” says Emma.

As for feelings of homesickness — which many parents had warned Emma about — she says it’s something that ebbs and flows. “It’s incredibly hard and sometimes I think parents often feel it much more keenly than the boarders.

“In the words of a dear friend, who was told it by another boarding mother, sending a child to boarding school is one of the most selfless things you will ever do as a parent.”

For now, the Brown family are enjoying hearing about Louis’s adventures, keeping up with Frankie’s afternoon sports and eagerly awaiting the Easter holidays when they will all be together again.

For more information about boarding at St Brendans, go to stbrendans.qld.edu.au. 

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