Timbertop can be an incredibly powerful and formative experience for students fortunate enough to spend time in this unique and isolated community. For over 70 years, both staff and students alike have realised that the lessons learned here are profound and often life changing.
At Timbertop, there is a feeling of life being very ‘real’ with strong purpose and clear direction.
Nestled in a secluded valley in the foothills of the Victorian Alps, three hours’ drive from Melbourne, Timbertop delivers a unique educational experience of indoor and outdoor learning, presenting new challenges to young people and helping them discover their best within.
Our full boarding programme, which operates across the entire Year 9 academic year, engages students in a rigorous academic programme five days a week, with weekends spent participating in a challenging outdoors programme, co-curricular activities, or community service.
The ethos behind Timbertop is a simple one which has its origins in the thinking of Kurt Hahn, founder of Salem School in Germany, Gordonstoun in Scotland, the Outward Bound movement and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme. Hahn believed that the skills and confidence to deal with unfamiliar territory could be developed; that exposure to challenges, in a secure environment, awakens in young people a belief in themselves which will stay with them through the hurdles ahead.
Kurt Hahn’s philosophy looked beyond an academic education, and sought to develop the qualities of compassion, honesty, initiative, a thirst for adventure and a sense of service to others. Today, in this age of technological and sociological change, we too uphold these principles as fundamental to shaping courageous and compassionate young people; well prepared for their senior school years and, most importantly, the opportunities and challenges that lie beyond.
In 2023, we are honouring the people, the place, and the purpose of our Timbertop campus. Timbertop was established in 1953 and, 70 years later, this transformational learning opportunity helps those who experience it to literally look upward, to the top of the mountain, and to unearth the courage and confidence of daring to trust themselves, and others, and all that they can become in these most formative years and beyond.
Timbertop operates in a very isolated environment. The campus is set on over 325 hectares of bush and farming land in the Victorian High Country. The nearest public road is over two kilometres from the main living and teaching areas. Cars and the general public cannot be seen, and the noise of traffic is replaced by the sounds of the bush. It is a quiet and peaceful place. We offer our students individual attention, stirring challenges, and relief from the urgency and distractions of the modern world.
Simplicity is powerful; time spent away from technology is valuable and healthy.
Separation from television, mobile phones, social media, the internet and computers creates a radical new silence which our students use for reading, writing letters, creative endeavours and conversation. Computer literacy is essential in this digital age, but technology cannot speak as powerfully as companionship. In keeping with the Timbertop ethos, electronic screen entertainment is not permitted.
Our comprehensive academic programme is busy and rigorous and takes place from Friday to Tuesday. Unlike most Australian schools, our weekends are on a Wednesday and Thursday, which allows us to enjoy the bush and local alpine area when it is less busy with tourists and visitors.
The academic curriculum consists of a core range of familiar subjects plus the choice of five semester units.
Our challenging outdoors programme takes full advantage of its natural surroundings, and includes hiking, skiing and camping and at times, canoeing and rafting. These experiences are fundamental to presenting new challenges and helping students to discover their potential. In many ways, the Timbertop year is a journey and our experiences in nature and the outdoors are a literal foundation for this.
Regular exercise is integral to good health, self-esteem and wellbeing. At Timbertop, we believe in the power of our running (and hiking) programme to build resilience, and as a metaphor for the challenges of life. Our running programme involves the whole School and all staff and students participate in cross-country runs every week on the bush tracks around our campus. The length and difficulty of the runs increase steadily to culminate in the 33-kilometre Timbertop Marathon – a special rite of passage at the end of the year that our students anticipate eagerly and remember with great pride.
In addition to the academic and outdoor programmes, there is also a wide range of co-curricular activities that include hobbies (e.g. baking, blacksmithing, fly fishing, horse riding, mountain biking, ‘netball and netflix’), the Darling Huts programme, Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme, community service and music tutorials.
A highlight for many is the downhill skiing programme at Mt Buller, which takes place in Term 3 and includes lessons with the Mt Buller ski school, catering to students at all levels of skiing ability.
An on-site, working farm doubles as a learning precinct for students who study Agriculture and Land Management as an elective. Here, students develop their knowledge and skills working with the School’s Murray Grey beef cattle, prime lamb enterprise and other working aspects of the Timbertop farm, including harvesting grapes in the vineyard.
The experience of a Timbertop student is exceptionally unique. Great friendships are made, acceptance is learned and teamwork is practiced.
Although simple and often quickly learned, the lessons provided through life as a Timbertop student are rich and significant, and often lessons that cannot be replicated in an urban or suburban environment.
