It's a long way from Trangie to Sydney's Eastern Suburbs, but for local lad Lachie Bible, taking up the opportunity to study at Sydney's Cranbrook School has been a life changing decision.
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Lachie was awarded a prestigious Matt Street Scholarship after being encouraged by family friends, and commenced boarding at Cranbrook in Year 11.
Having grown up on the family cotton farm at Trangie, the former Dubbo student said the shift to living and studying in the heart of the of a city like Sydney initially took some time to adjust to.
Since his move to the big smoke Lachie is now prospering in his final year at Cranbrook and has relished taking advantage of the many opportunities that boarding at Cranbrook School has afforded him.
"When I first got approached about coming to Cranbrook I'd heard nothing about the School," Lachie said.
"But I'm really glad I took up the opportunity.
"It's just like being in a big footy camp.
"You are surrounded by a great bunch of boys in boarding, so it's a really great environment to be part of."
As one of a handful of students who currently board at Cranbrook who hail from the state's Central West, Lachie said finding a few familiar faces in the boarding houses also helped him to settle in.
According to Lachie the range of social activities available for the students to take part in continues to help him feel at home.
"Being in the city there are so many activities and attractions which are in such close proximity," he said.
"So there's a whole range of opportunities that I just wouldn't have had access to going to school back home."
"There's a heap of social stuff you can do in the boarding houses, from playing pool, having a game of ping-pong or heading down to the oval for a game of touch footy.
"You're never bored."
While Lachie is the second of three sons, he is the first one from his family to attend Cranbrook School.
Since starting with the school Lachie has become a valued member of the Cranbrook boarding community, helping younger students to settle in and take advantage of the vibrant housing environment.
Lachie has also become a solid fixture on the School's First XV Rugby team, which is leading into the 2019 season.
The side are coming off the back of a series of crushing wins in trial games against schools from Sydney and country NSW.
Cranbrook Director of Boarding Matthew Banes says sport is yet another way their youth gets to mingle with people or all backgrounds, and acts as a good way for the boys to bond.
Among his other achievements, Lachie has also earned plaudits for his impressive woodworking portfolio, earning the school's top industrial technology timber prize for his impressive portfolio of finely crafted woodwork projects.
Mr Banes was among the staff from Cranbrook at the recent Dubbo Boarding Schools Expo, and encourages other families to consider boarding school alternatives.
According to Mr Banes parents and their sons should take a closer look at the wealth of educational, sporting and co-curricular activities boarding life at Cranbrook School could provide.
"Boarding provides endless opportunity to be fully immersed in school life, to interact with the whole of the Cranbrook community and make lifelong friends not just from all around NSW, but from all corners of the globe," Mr Banes said.
"Being a member of the Cranbrook boarding community teaches boys to be independent, responsible for themselves and others.
"So they grow into mature and self-reliant young men leading adventurous and generous lives," Mr Banes added.
