Everyone is moving on out.
Enter any regional town, and you can’t help but feel a certain sense of nostalgia. A sense of a prosperous time that might seem long past, but here in 2022 a new desire to live outside the city’s bounds has emerged. Seeing a slow but sure trickle of new blood yearning for a little more space and a different way of living. Bringing with them rise to the notion of exploring better ways of being, and deliberately cultivating a new set of rules for oneself. Which might just lead to these regional gems being revitalised by the influence of a new era of locals.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics tells me that in the third quarter of 2021 104,100 people relocated to a regional area, to me that’s a pretty telling sign that the grand regional migration we’ve been hearing about for quite some time is no myth. These city-dwellers are searching for some room to breathe and finding it out yonder.
I was one such upstart, finding myself back in my small hometown in 2020, for the first time understanding the true potential for myself away from the city. Seeking a way to rebuild a life that would also bring with it contributions to my community and ways to amplify the opportunities and possibilities untapped in the regions. I knew I could build a successful modern business that was deeply embedded in the community, and I’m certainly not the only one. And although many of these little towns we’re now finding ourselves in often feel like a time capsule of Art Deco pubs, post offices, theatres and banks, marking a period in time when regional industry was booming. The old scenes of opulence and prosperity can seem daunting, but for some, they walk the streets and take a look around, the potential sparking inspiration for what could be.
While leaving a big city to enjoy a different pace of life is often seen as displaying lack of ambition, there are those making the most of the resources they have available and leveraging community support to create potential for themselves, while working to reinvigorate town centres and their greater communities. Those opting to give it a crack are often returning home or are new to the region, bringing with them diverse perspectives and a hunger for change. Buoyed by cheap as chips rent, this new generation of regional business owners are inadvertently regenerating regional communities and setting a new standard for what life is in the country.
One such maverick is Jillian Killby, an engineer and Harvard graduate who recently acquired the old post office building in Dubbo’s town centre. Since taking possession, Jillian has spent two years restoring this beautiful piece of Australian architecture to its former glory. With the building now home to a community and coworking space, supporting business growth and community activation across the region.
With little government support and sometimes less than enthusiastic attitudes from locals, striving for change is often an uphill battle. Speak to anyone with skin in the game and they’ll quickly highlight the difficulties they face. But traction is building, and when you’re walking the path alone, there comes opportunity for revitalisation hindered by nothing but your own initiative. That allows for the surpassing of outdated ideals and ways of doing business, seeing the business culture in the regions be reset. The general sense of pessimism is dwindling as this shift is taking hold. Individuals are taking ownership, knowing that it only takes a small few to create significant change.
Accessibility to technology is also playing a huge role in the success of these new ventures. Bring a new sense of connectedness to the greater world that was traditionally lost once you left the city limits. Allowing business builders to craft an online presence that can generate decentralised income, offsetting the costs of their bricks and mortar operations, while simultaneously giving them access to a global platform in which to highlight their lo- cal charm. Belinda from Carcoar, NSW has done exactly this. After living in Milthorpe for 20 years and having run a store there for 10, Belinda and her family found their dream home in Carcoar. Without a second thought, they uprooted and moved to the quaint town, with a population of 250. “There was no need to overthink the move, we just did it”, Belinda shares. “I knew that if we continued to show our passion and do what we do well, that people would take notice”. Since relocating, Belinda has reopened her homewares store in a historic building in the town centre while growing her online presence. Belinda has built her online following to over 20,000 people that now have daily visibility not only over Belinda’s beautiful store, but the town she calls home as well. “Majority of people who come into the store follow me on Instagram and that is what’s brought them to town. I’m proud to be promoting the region and promoting the places I visit across regional Australia.” Belinda’s success is now seeing her continue to grow her ventures in Carcoar, taking on the restoration of a local home to offer a beautiful accommodation option, promoting more activity within the region. We’re continuing to see people working to cultivate these historic towns, highlighting how innately resourceful we all can be. Although many regional towns face economic woes, a culture of creative entrepreneur- ship is emerging. Not only breeding personal success, but also engaging communities fuelled by the possibility that positive change can be made.
This wave of tree changers are not only being driven by our entrepreneurial friends. As this little global pandemic has reimagined how we all work, more and more city-dwellers searching for room to breathe are able to access high-val- ue remote jobs. Meaning those who previously just couldn’t quite find the way to make a move to the country work have discovered a new enthusiasm for a different kind of life. Knowing a regional setting can now offer a viable place to live and work, without requiring a newcomer to sever ties with the outside world. But not everyone seeking a more regional existence is looking to work from their desk, or to create a new business opportunity either. With interest in the local workforce having also been piqued, connection and personability being a major drawing card to the country for some. Lilly Jarratt is a young teacher from the Gold Coast, who took a graduate role in Dirranbandi in June 2021. With her motivations going far deeper than a job or a little change of pace. “I wanted to make connections that really meant something. Growing up on the Gold Coast with parents who grew up in Moree, I was always jealous of their childhood stories, of their friendships and community because I never felt that growing up in such a big city. With the pressures of social media and the stigma around the Gold Coast I never felt like I could truly make deep friendships or feel safe in the community. Everybody was chasing likes on instagram rather than making deep and meaningful relationships. Moving to a rural town gave me the opportunity to start fresh and focus on what mattered to me. It gave me the opportunity to also have a bigger impact on the lives of my students by being truly immersed in their lives. Having students run up and give me a hug at the grocery shop or showing me their dives at the community pool on a Sunday is priceless. The feeling that comes with being known and seen in the community is truly irreplaceable, it’s priceless. Although the towns can be small, the love and respect you are given and can give is overflowing.”
And Bridget Couton, a Lawyer from Melbourne is another who has made the choice to pursue all the glory of a regional lifestyle. Reiterating the sentiment that a life focused on perks of pursuing life outside the city can bring with it contentment that goes far beyond the bounds of our work lives. Which has also inspired Bridget to launch The Bush Exchange, an initiative working to bridge the regional and metropolitan divide by sharing inspiration from the heart of the bush. “When I was 15 I spent one month in the Kimber- ley and when I was older I returned. Working as a Jillaroo on a remote cattle station, where I met my now-husband and eventually led me to the Goondiwindi district. Whilst I grew up and attended University in the city, experiencing the wonderful cosmopolitan culture of Melbourne, my heart always felt so much more at ease when out bush. Times spent with family and friends are often by a river, a campfire or simply under a gum tree. It is easy to enjoy life’s simple pleasures when you live in rural Australia. I couldn’t imagine raising my kids anywhere else. I think more people are coming to the same realisations and a bit of a bush renaissance is emerging, it’s certainly exciting times for regional and rural Australia.”
So no matter the motivations, it’s clear that there is a bright future for those outside the metropolitan mould. If the past few decades have been characterised as those of decline for these little regional gems, they’re now slowly being rediscovered and undergoing a different type of makeover, to suit a new era of regional community. Allowing the wayward notion of one day seeing opportunities and prosperity in regional Australia to suddenly become a real possibility.
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