We recently had the pleasure of welcoming Golden Hill alumni, Toby Boaden and his partner, Lauren, back to the school grounds for a nostalgic tour and catch-up while he was visiting family in our region at the end of Term 1.

Toby attended GHSS from kindergarten through graduation in primary school in Eliza’s class in 2014, and he was excited to share with us how his experiences of Steiner Education have shaped him into who he is today. He was the kind of kid who was always found creating something in the woodshed at recess and lunch. Eliza remembers his great sense of humour and passion for practical jokes.

Toby's love for the outdoors is expressed in his hobbies: hiking, mountain biking and rock climbing. He has traversed a lot of the world on his mountain bike – within Australia alone, he has ridden trails throughout Tasmania, Derby, WA, and throughout Victoria too; “basically all of Australia except NT/Qld”. He has even conquered our own Munda Biddi trail a couple of times, both as a child and later with his mate Ike, who also attended Golden Hill.

These days, Toby is based out of the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria as a freelance Outdoor Educator – his partner, Lauren, does this too! Toby works mainly with high school students, while Lauren works with primary school students, overlapping every so often in the programmes they create. How romantic is it that Toby and Lauren met at university when they were studying outdoor education at LaTrobe together in Bendigo? He recalled connecting with many other Steiner alumni in his uni days and appreciating the value of the style of our education and how it has developed their passion for the outdoor activities they were called to continue sharing in their vocation. You could see that Toby was chuffed to show Lauren around the Golden Hill schoolgrounds and introduce her to Eliza and some of the other teachers he recognised. The most exciting spot he wanted to visit while he was here was the woodwork hut!

As part of his role as a freelance Outdoor Educator, Toby reaches out to schools and companies to run programmes for them. Most recently, this brought him home to the Great Southern region to lead a group of Year 8s hiking on the Bibbulmun and canoeing on the Frankland River. He said there was a strong sense of coming "full circle" as he cooked on an outdoor stove just like they did at camp when he was in Class 5. To become an Outdoor Ed facilitator, Toby spent three years at LaTrobe University in Bendigo, Victoria, to achieve a Bachelor of Outdoor and Sustainability Education. He studied ATAR subjects at Denmark Senior High School before a gap year working at the Peaceful Bay Caravan Park, and after the big move to Victoria for uni and meeting Lauren, he lived in East Melbourne for a while before settling where he lives now.

His favourite memories of his time here were certainly related to the camps and connecting with the outdoors. When we were chatting, he fondly recalled riding to school from where he grew up near Greens Pool. Toby recalled meeting friends in town and adventuring along the way, arriving at school muddy. Starting the school day with a quick wash off with Neal’s garden hose.

Toby said he practically lived in the woodwork hut whenever he was able to be there and was always creating something. His woodwork teacher, Justin, would give him free rein where he could explore and create, and if he wasn’t in the shed here, he would be in the shed at home! He would be making boomerangs, bow and arrows, carving spoons, whittling and making tables and stools. No doubt, a passion he carries with him today. 

Thank you so much for popping in, Toby! We loved hearing about your memories and experiences, and we are stoked that you are sharing your passion with the world.