ON THE MOVE: SCONE
THE HORSE CAPITAL OF AUSTRALIA IN THE UPPER HUNTER VALLEY IS FULL OF NEW OPPORTUNITIES.
Horse breeding is no longer the only drawcard of this bustling town in the Upper Hunter Valley.
THE THOROUGHBRED BREEDING season from August until the end of December is a hectic time for treating foals. “Scone is a really exciting place to be a horse vet and it’s very satisfying to be able to look after these babies and get them going,” says Dr Catherine Russell from Scone Equine Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit. After almost two decades in the Upper Hunter region, Catherine thrives on her work and the local close-knit community as much as ever. Studying veterinary science in Sydney was Catherine’s “ticket out of the city” and she moved permanently to Scone, which has a population of about 5500 people, in 2002 after joining the practice two years earlier. Along with her husband Nigel and children Paul, 11, and nine-year-old Skye, she lives on 60 hectares just outside of town where the family ride their horses and often bushwalk through the hills. “I love the horses and country lifestyle. We are involved in pony club, the local show-jumping club, dressage and my husband plays polo. There are so many opportunities to do different things with horses here — it’s a lot of fun,” she says. The largest thoroughbred breeding region in Australia, Scone also offers opportunities in education, health, meat processing, aged-care, and mining at nearby Muswellbrook. Chef Colin Selwood along with his wife Tammy, who runs a graphic design business, moved to Scone nearly five years ago with their nine-year-old son Jackson. After decades working in some of Sydney’s best restaurants — including being part-owner of China Doll in Woolloomooloo — Colin moved to Graze at the Willow Tree Inn before taking up the opportunity to own The Cottage in Scone. “I love what small towns can offer; there’s no traffic and you can walk down the street, know everyone and say hello. Our little fellow has a motorbike and we enjoy going riding,” Colin says. “The community is very supportive and there are a lot of people who know their food here,” he adds. “Our city friends come and visit, and we take them up to the Barrington Tops National Park and have a picnic there. It’s a beautiful place to live — we have so much right here on our doorstep.” > For more information, visit liveworkinvestscone.com.au