High on a hill in Tabooba – a little-known nook near Tamrookum, south of Beaudesert – the Platell kids are making memories of an idyllic country childhood.
High school sweethearts Eden and Jim Platell, 38 and 37, are parents to AJ, 13, Charlie, 11, and Lach- lan, 7.
They also have Sophie the border collie, Sam the border collie boxer cross, cats Archie, Josie and Olivia and the newest addition Senor Montgomery Carlos, the 13-week-old kitten, who Eden jokes are better behaved than the real-life children.
Their home is on a 1500-acre family dairy farm, run with Jim’s sister and brother-in-law, his father and others who work with them.
Eden runs her design and branding business from the property, and Jim, whose family had a dairy beside Beaudesert racecourse before shifting to Tabooba when he was in year 12, works as a fourth-generation dairy farmer.
The kids are an energetic bunch, kicking up the country dust, buzzing off into the distance on their motorbikes and making sure they’re home in time for tea.
Thanks to their parents, they’re also often in town for sports like Little As, soccer, dancing and netball.
Eden and Jim have been together for 21 years since they met through mutual friends at Beaudesert High, and recently celebrated 15 years of marriage.
The Beaudesert Bulletin caught up with the Platells to hear their thoughts on family. Here’s what they had to say:
What does family mean to you?
Eden: To me it means more than just your definition of just five people in a family, and it’s more about the village surrounding us, whether they’re friends or family.
AJ: Family means being able to play with Lachie and Charlie and spending time with them.
Lachlan: What’s a family mean? It means just a big group of people who were born by the same per- son.
Charlie: A family is where you have fun together and you play with your siblings.
Eden: Our kids have tonnes of aunties and uncles who aren’t actually related to us but are just really good friends of ours and quite involved in their lives. We do lots of holidaying with friends, all the kids have grown up together and it’s just like one big family.
If you’d like us to feature your family, or tip us off about a great Becoming Family story, please get in touch via news@beaudesertbulletin.com.au
