Life of a Boarder: Dom, Year 11

Dom, (16) arrived at TAS earlier this year. Hailing from a 42 000-hectare property in Longreach, where he and his family run a sheep and cattle station, Dom’s life to date has been spent on the land, balancing his education, the pursuit of his passions, and his responsibilities on the farm.

Having learnt through distance education since Kindergarten, Dom and his family decided that in order to best prepare him for life beyond school, he needed to branch out and experience the school environment in person.

Boarding at TAS was the answer.

What made you choose TAS?

“I liked the values and the feel of the school. It seemed very welcoming, and friends had recommended it to us. We came down to check it out during the holidays last year and liked it, so in Term 3 I came and tried it out for a day. That’s when we decided it was the one.”

Making the leap from home-schooling to living at school is no small feat, but Dom has found that he’s been able to flourish since his arrival at TAS.

What surprised you about TAS Boarding?

“The mateship within Boarding. In Stoneleigh (our Senior boys boarding house) everyone is friendly toward each other, and there’s no divide. The older boys hang out with and teach the younger ones, like mentors. It’s good for the older boys to be around the energy of the juniors too. The fact that you are encouraged to keep yourself busy surprised me. There’s heaps on offer in terms of weekend activities, like golf or heading to the movies.”

Besides finding ways to help around the boarding house, Dom spends his spare time pursuing interests and hobbies.

What are your passions?

“I love art and crafting woodwork. I’ve always been interested in art, and that evolved into experimenting with cardboard and wood. As I got older, I drew inspiration from history. I wanted to have those things for myself, so I just made them. As time has gone on, I’ve just found new ways of making things. Dad taught me how to use the tools, but other than that it’s been trial and error, I’ve taught myself.”

Alongside his knack for building, Dom is a performer at heart. The Longreach School of Distance Education (LSODE) Musical took place last year, which saw more than 80 distance education students from across western Queensland come together and perform Robin and the Sherwood Hoodies at a sold-out Longreach Civic Centre. As well as being cast into a main role, Dom was also appointed as the head prop maker for the musical - a task which he took to like a duck to water. After six months of online rehearsals, which Dom admits was trying at times, he and his fellow performers put on a stellar show for their families, friends and the region.

Since arriving at TAS, Dom has continued to thrive in the artistic domain. Performing in the recent TAS Secondary Play Buckets, and daily developing his creativity through his Visual Art and Film subjects, Dom hasn’t let moving away to Boarding School restrict his creative expression. Most afternoons he can be found in his makeshift workshop (a bottom room of Stoneleigh), surrounded by wood and tools, midway through another intricate project. Having recently refurbished Mr Basset’s 100-year-old wooden bench seat, it’ll be no surprise for a young man of such talent to soon have order flowing through the doors!

We are so proud to have Dom as a part of our Boarding community. His respectful, mature, and responsible disposition sets a valuable example for the younger boys in the house and also serves to embody everything that we strive to be as a boarding community.

Dom was recently featured on ABC’s Landline for his part in The Longreach School of Distance Education (LSODE) Musical - Dom features from the timestamp of 17 minutes and 19 seconds onwards.