Their fellow competitors might still be having trouble correctly identifying them on the soccer pitch, but identical twins Bethany and Olivia Bray are striking out on their own during their first year teaching agriculture in western NSW.
The sisters, who grew up on a Merino sheep property near Muswellbrook, both studied secondary teaching at UNE and lived in Wright Village. Their three-year teach.Rural scholarships originally had the pair teaching agriculture in the same department at Narrabri High School.
“But we wanted to be at different schools, so we could establish ourselves as individuals in new communities, so I was glad to accept an alternative placement at Wee Waa High,” Olivia says.
“Yes, we hoped we wouldn’t end up in the same area, but it has turned out really well,” Bethany says. “We are really close and each other’s best friend, so we enjoy living nearby.”
In fact, Olivia and Bethany live just five minutes from each other, in Narrabri. Bethany is one of two permanent ag teachers at Narrabri High and Olivia is the sole agricultural teacher at smaller Wee Waa High, to the north-west.
As far as agriculture goes, they couldn’t find themselves in a better location, in the heart of cropping and cattle country, yet the teachers each have plans to revitalise the sheep side of their school farm operations.
Bethany is keen to introduce some new genetics to her flock, start showing sheep and even give future students the opportunity to compete in the National Merino Challenge. Olivia is similarly keen to return to her Merino roots as she plans for a brand-new ag farm and some sheepyard improvements. “The design comes down to me, and being a first-year-out teacher, it’s a big responsibility,” she says. “But it’s also an exciting chance to expand what we can offer students.”
Olivia always wanted to pursue a career in agriculture. “I always thought about being a farmer and working on the land, but my parents encouraged me to consider a job outside farming,” she says. “I loved school, so teaching agriculture was a good fit. I didn’t necessarily want to do the same as Bethany but … here we are.”
Both will have the luxury of exposing students to the region’s progressive wheat and cotton industries and their local research centres.
“A lot of students are from farms at my school but there are also a surprising number who don’t know a lot about agriculture,” says Bethany.
Olivia has a slightly different challenge. “The majority of my stage 5 and 6 students are female, so I am hoping to entice a few young men into the game, too,” she says. “Many love agriculture but are very practically-minded and want to be harvesters. I would like to help them to see beyond the levee and consider going away to study agriculture at university.”
Their UNE education has certainly ensured Olivia and Bethany some ready-made friends in the region. “At Wright we met people from all over NSW and all over the world,” Bethany says, “so we already knew some people out this way when we arrived, which was great.”
Many more new friendships are now being made within their communities and on the soccer field, where opponents are no match for a little double-trouble.
