After four months, Jacqueline Southall asked her four year old, Quinn, if he liked living in Sale and the answer was, ‘Yes, I like Ariyah’ (his cousin).
It was at that moment that Jacqueline realised the family’s move from Wagga in NSW to Sale in the heart of Gippsland had paid off.
“My brother has lived in Sale for 20 years and we wanted our kids to grow up together,” Jacqueline says.
“We had been coming to Sale for holidays during that time, and really liked the community, but it wasn’t until 2018 that the right job came up, as Manager of Medical Recruitment and Hospital Medical Officer Coordination with Sale Hospital.
“As soon as I found out that I had the job, my husband found a position at Maffra hospital and we are now happily settled here.”
The biggest change in moving from her previous roles in Sydney to country hospitals was unlocking hours of extra family time each day no longer spent in a commute.
“I save a minimum of eight hours a week in travel – the equivalent to a full working day. I could never go back to work in the city again and sit in traffic for up to three hours each day – I really value the fact that I can spend that time with my children and family now,” Jacqueline said.
“I can drive to the shops within five minutes, there are no lights on the way to work and we have access to outstanding community and sporting facilities – it’s ideal.”
Jacqueline said one of the key reasons that she felt driven to move to Sale was that the quality of education and healthcare was so good.
“We have access to 24 hour emergency care close by if we need it, and the teachers we know say the quality of schooling in Sale is very high compared to many places in the city,” Jacqueline says.
“The childcare for our kids has been great here and we have loved being near my brother and his family.
“I definitely see our future in Sale, because my children will grow up with their cousins, they will go to school together and celebrate milestones with each other.
“I caught up with my brother after work the other day for a drink and it was so nice – it was the first time we had ever had after work drinks together, it is so easy to do those things together now.”