After deciding to sell their house and find something larger, Juliana and Sam realised Newenham in the Adelaide Hills was just what they were looking for.
Juliana is the Head of School at King’s Baptist Grammar School, Adelaide Hills Campus, which is located within the growing community at Newenham. Sam works at Swordfish Computing, a software engineering company located in the Adelaide CBD. Together, they have three kids, Amelia, Aidan, and Orlando.
“It’s really great to work around the corner from home and be part of the community; it’s been a great move and transition for me,” Juliana explains.
Juliana was working at the King’s Wynn Vale campus, so when the family first moved up to the Hills, she commuted to Wynn Vale for a couple of years. Juliana was then appointed to the position of Head of School and has been at the new campus since it commenced in January 2023.
“My two boys come to King’s Baptist and are currently in reception and year two. Amelia goes to school down in the city at St Aloysius College because she is in year six this year,” says Julianna.
To make things easier for the family, the couple also moved the kids into local sports.
“Amelia does callisthenics and is part of Acacia Callisthenics Club over in Nairne, while the boys play soccer for Mount Barker United in the MiniRoos,” says Sam.
Juliana and Sam were living in Ridgehaven and decided they wanted more land and a bigger house after their third child came along. They were looking around the Tea Tree Gully area and planned to stay on that side of town.
“We liked Tea Tree Gully because it’s a little bit more of a country feel with lots of trees, and Tea Tree Plaza is close,” says Juliana.
While Tea Tree Gully held the promise of a lovely country feel, lots of trees and proximity to the local shops, that appeal soon faded for Juliana and Sam.
“We just couldn’t find what we were looking for. The block sizes were tiny; everything was being subdivided, so we couldn’t get any decent-sized land. The houses were all really old and needed a lot of renovating,” Juliana explains.
Initially, they planned to sell their house and search for a new one. The sale went ahead, and they temporarily moved in with their parents. However, after visiting friends in Nairne and hanging out in Hahndorf, they soon began looking for a new home in the Adelaide Hills.
During this time, they were both working in the city and quickly realised that the Adelaide Hills, and Mount Barker in particular, were only a short 30 minute commute away.
“We have friends who live in Nairne, so we’ve been coming up this way quite a bit. And we love Hahndorf and spend a lot of time there. Sam said one day, “I found this estate in Mount Barker called Newenham. It’s got a very country feel with bigger blocks. Why don’t we go have a look?” says Juliana.
While the Saunders looked at other estates in and around Mount Barker, they all felt too similar to what was offered at Golden Grove, Modbury, and Tea Tree Gully. They fell in love with Newenham for the location, the country vibe, that it wasn’t congested, and wasn’t far from town, with easy access to the freeway.
They also loved that when driving into Newenham, it has a beautiful feel of tranquil country living. That there is something special about the natural environment with majestic trees, open spaces, the creek, and the general feeling of a welcoming community.
“We didn’t really have any hesitation. That’s what sold it for us straight away. You don’t have to drive through the whole of Mount Barker to get here,” says Julianna. “We also wanted the space for the children. And we thought Mount Barker is a growing town with a lot happening. Things are coming to Mount Barker that, eventually, there will be no need to drive down to the city,” Sam adds.
Other features that proved to be massive selling points to Juliana and Sam include the creekside linear path into Mount Barker, the big blocks, the open rustic feel, and easy access to the freeway.
“It’s such a lovely trail. And you can get straight to Mount Barker with it. You can walk. The kids can ride their bikes. And it’s quite safe,” says Juliana.
The family also love the community aspect. The kids, particularly the boys, have made friends at school, and they all live locally, with a few living within Newenham too.
“As the kids get older, we’ve got a big community of children who are going to be able to walk to each other’s house and play together. And you have a lovely playground they can all go to, which is really what we wanted,” Juliana says.
Since moving into Newenham, Juliana’s parents have followed and are now living in Mount Barker.
The couple built their home with Fairmont Homes and moved in around Easter 2020.
“Sam built a house before we married, which we did live in, but this was our first build together,” Juliana explains.
They looked at quite a few builders and different designs of houses. They ended up modifying and adding to a house plan that Fairmont Homes already had.
“We changed it significantly to what we wanted, and they were quite accommodating,” says Sam.
The home is very open plan. A home theatre sits at the front, while the kitchen, family room, playroom, and the kid’s bedrooms are all at the back.
Glass stacker doors at the back allow for alfresco entertainment giving the area a nice indoor-outdoor feel. A big island bench has a stone benchtop where people can gather while things are being created in the kitchen.
“I really wanted the back of the house to have big glass sliding doors so I could see into the backyard when the children are playing there when I’m in the kitchen,” says Juliana.
“The building process was quite smooth; they did a great job, and the handover was fantastic. We haven’t really had any issues with our home. We’ve been really happy with the finished product,” Sam adds.
The family are also doing their bit to live more sustainably with chickens in the back yard, a veggie garden and composting area, plus a range of fruit trees.
“We’ve got four chickens, and we’ve created a big run for them, and they’ve got their little barn house. They’re only young, but we’re looking forward to getting eggs from them,” says Juliana.
The couple and their young family love being part of the Hills community and get out when they can to support local eateries. Favourites include the Kitchen Farm Pantry in Newenham, Sazon Café, and The Haus in Hahndorf. They also enjoy the markets in Mount Barker and taking the kids for a leisurely walk around the Laratinga Wetlands, which is easily reached by following the linear path from Newenham.
It’s took some time to get here, but Juliana and Sam feel they have made the right move. They are part of the community and are enjoying life while getting to know their Newenham neighbours.
Juliana sums up, “When we worked in the city, it was tricky. We had moved to Newenham, but our life wasn’t here just yet. Now that we’ve made the move to Newenham, we can really feel the difference and we absolutely love it.”
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