What's On | Mudgee Guardian

It is no secret that Sarah Murray, of Eulabah, Spring Ridge, wears a lot of hats. She's a wife and mother of three who lives on the land, a primary school teacher, an entrepreneur and a small business owner, but she wouldn't change it for the world. Often you'll hear of people who renovate houses or women who start new business ventures soon after they give birth. Some may call them crazy, but Mrs Murray said it is one of the best decisions she's ever made. With two children and a newborn less than eight weeks old, Mrs Murray founded Rural Nannies, a boutique agency dedicated to providing regional families with reliable and recommended babysitters. "The idea eventuated from my sister who went away on holiday to the coast and used a babysitting agency while she was there," Mrs Murray said. "When we first started talking about the idea to create an agency in the regions I wasn't in the position to follow through with it as I'd just had my third baby, but I think as time went on I wanted something to do and build while I was on maternity leave. "It was probably a crazy time to start, but I suppose if you don't do it somebody else might take your idea so I thought I may as well jump in, have a crack and see what happens." So, Mrs Murray grabbed the opportunity with both hands and launched Rural Nannies from her farmhouse in January 2023. "There are boutique agencies in metro areas, but there was nothing that families in rural areas could easily access to save time and provide the comfort of knowing someone had already done all the background checks," she said. "I wanted to fill that gap for rural families." Following an extensive recruitment process, Mrs Murray opened her bookings in June 2023 and in less than six months has signed over 80 babysitters in more than 10 locations from Wagga Wagga to Armidale. "Rural Nannies has rapidly grown which is great but I did not expect it to be so widely popular," she said. "I started off in my local area, Spring Ridge and Tamworth, before recruiting in Armidale mainly because it is a big university town with an abundance of students who are looking for work. "From there I think with interest as people reached out and asked if I had a sitter in their area we have grown from there. "As the demand pops up, that is where I head because the best thing is we can recruit great babysitters in any location." All babysitters with Rural Nannies are 18-years or older, hold a current working with children's check and are personally interviewed by Mrs Murray. "We have a mixture of ages but our eldest sitter is 70 which is amazing because she is like a little nanny," she said. "I love working and meeting older mothers and grandmothers who are looking for a little something during retirement." The majority of Rural Nannies' clientele are families who don't know where to go to get a babysitter. "Most of our families are so isolated, they don't even know where to begin," Mrs Murray said. "Particularly when you're new to an area or travelling to a different region for a wedding, that is when our services become easiest, because if we service your area you know you'll be able to get a sitter there. "Even more so, some families like knowing that somebody else is doing all the background checks instead of just relying on Facebook groups." When families book online through the Rural Nannies website, they provide their details and Mrs Murray reaches out to her network to match them with a sitter that best suits. "We do a confirmation and exchange details with the family so they can read a small profile about the babysitter so it gives the family an idea about who they are," she said. "The family can arrange a conversation with the babysitter, and in-fact all of our sitters are encouraged to reach out to the family beforehand to introduce themselves and it is as simple as that." Mrs Murray said it is hugely important for rural parents, especially those on-farm, to prioritise taking time for yourself every now and then. "Sometimes you find yourself with a list the size of your arm and you just want to achieve it, so I find being able to have someone come to your home where you kids are comfortable is super valuable," she said. "Whether it is to get some work done in the office, spend time in the garden, catch up with friends or attend an event, knowing that your kids are happy and in their own environment is important. "I find that it comes back to that me time, which has become such a big thing, and rightfully so, because sometimes you just have to take time for yourself so you can regroup and come back to tackle it all again. "Through Rural Nannies I want to provide families who don't have support around them access to babysitters who have that experience and are just like a grandma who really do become part of the family."

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