Our Journey
It hasn’t been an easy decision after spending over 20 years on the beautiful Central Coast—starting from a private teaching studio, to a school in a factory bay in Berkeley Vale, and later to our lovely premises in Tuggerah. We are deeply grateful to the many families who entrusted us with teaching and nurturing their children, guiding them from tender beginnings to becoming independent young adults. We feel truly blessed and humbled to have been part of our students’ lives through music. Each and every one of them holds a special place in our hearts, and we will always treasure the time we shared together.
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Part of this journey also carries the story of Craig’s mum, Kay. It was her wish to have her ashes laid to rest with her parents in her hometown of Gulgong. In July, while my mum was visiting from overseas, we travelled to fulfil Kay’s wishes and also took the opportunity to show my mum the beauty of the Mid-Western region. As we strolled along Mayne Street, Craig noticed a gorgeous old corner building that stood vacant. It wasn’t on the market, but curiosity led us across the road to ask the local real estate. They didn’t know anything about that building—instead, they showed us another historic place for sale, which turned out to be the former maternity hospital where Kay herself had been born. To stand in the place where she entered the world, on the very same day we laid her to rest, felt extraordinary and deeply meaningful.
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After that trip, life returned to normal. For years we had searched for a home on the Central Coast, but either the places we loved were out of reach or the ones we could afford didn’t feel right. We began casting our net wider—north and south coast, Berry, Kangaroo Valley, Tamworth, Kempsey, Bellingen—yet nothing clicked. Then one Sunday in September, almost on a whim, I typed “Gulgong” into the search bar, and there it was: the very same building Craig had admired. I called out, “That building you like is for sale!” Within days, everything unfolded—Craig called the agent, we arranged a FaceTime tour on Monday, and by Wednesday we had bought the building—before even seeing it in person.
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It all happened so quickly and with such serendipity that we couldn’t help but feel the building had chosen us.
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Built in 1910, this building has lived many lives. Before then, in the early 1870s, it was Barnes’ Mudgee Drug Store; from 1873 through the 1880s, McCulloch’s Booksellers and Stationers. In the 1890s it became known as “Souter’s Corner” when John Souter’s Gulgong Pharmacy opened there. Over the past 150 years, this premises has been home to a chemist, tobacconist, bookshop, mayor’s office, electrical store, bank, solicitor, real estate agency, florist, gift shop, restaurant, café—and perhaps many more we may never know.
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At the end of 2024, we moved into this historic building in Craig’s hometown of Gulgong. While its structure is solid, the timberwork needs much care, and we have already spent months bringing it back to life. With the front two rooms now completed, we are excited to finally begin teaching again. This move has been a big change in our lives, and while we don’t know exactly what the future holds, we know in our hearts that it is the right time to embrace this new chapter and adventure.
We especially want to thank three remarkable women who gave us the strength to take this leap: Craig’s late mother Kay, my mum Mei-Feng, and our conveyancer, Arlene Barnett. Without their wisdom, calm, and unwavering support, this dream would not have become a reality.
