By Fiona Blick
THE Baker family, Paul (aka dad), Gail (aka mum), and their kids Sophie (23), Thomas (21) and Abby (20) relocated to Shepparton from Griffith NSW in early October last year.
They had lived in Griffith for eight years and originally hailed from Adelaide.
The family moved to Shepparton for a couple of reasons – Paul accepted the role of project manager at GV Water and Gail is a registered nurse; their three children are studying in Melbourne, so coming to this region meant they were closer to them.
Gail said their first few months were difficult as they had initially planned to rent a property but were unable to find any and be accepted for a suitable home.
“Paul put the start date of his employment on hold for another month to gain more time, but even then, we couldn’t get a property,” she said. “We have two small dogs which may have affected our chances.
“We weren’t deterred however, and we rented a caravan in a caravan park for the first few months before securing a property to buy.
“The caravan rental turned out to be as expensive as it would have been to rent an actual home and luckily our three children were already in Melbourne, so it was just Paul and myself that had to live in the van.”
Paul said they did have concerns about getting to know a new town again, especially with the rental issues they were experiencing.
“We were advised about the Community Connector Program through my employment, and it has been so helpful and welcoming to have a dedicated program with all the services and social events it offers,” Paul said.
“From morning teas and dinners to regular updates and advice on what events are happing in Shepparton.
“The Community Connect Program is a fantastic way to get to know the local community.
“Just for the peace of mind that someone was there to ask if we needed it was so reassuring.
“We did not have this when we moved to Griffith, and it was difficult to settle into a tight knit community.”
Gail said the family were enjoying their time in Shepparton.
“The atmosphere, friendly people, great weather, lots of shops, restaurants and cafes and the weekly events are wonderful,” she said.
“And as a bonus we are only two-and-a-bit hours away from the kids in Melbourne.
“Shepparton has so much to offer which did surprise me, I wasn’t sure what to expect and the beautiful Victoria Lake is a fabulous back drop when driving in from Melbourne.”
For more information on the Committee for Greater Shepparton’s Community Connector Program, contact Coordinator Fiona Blick on 0499 351 441.
