Peter and Nina Arnott

• Peter and Nina (both awarded the  OAM for ’services to youth ‘ in 1997) have managed Wirraway since its inception in 1975.

• Peter is a qualified mechanical engineer and has been involved in running all aspects of the camp since its beginnings: from managing the finances through to running activities, providing talks on Christianity for the evening meetings, as well as the maintenance/fencing/farm work/plumbing/carpentry and even teaching horse riding and working as a trail guide at one stage! Pete also is the key person for any building projects and hands on management issues for the site.

• Nina heads up Wirraway Training, a private registered training organisation and a part of Wirraway Homestead, which trains the staff in Certificate III in Outdoor Recreation and gives them nationally recognised qualifications to run the camp activities. This “RTO” is also involved in providing qualifications to students at Mill Valley Ranch in Victoria,  El Shaddai at Wellington and in previous years, the younger staff at Mylor Baptist camp (also SA). As well as working in that capacity, she oversees the horse area, OHS, accreditation issues and administration at the camp. Nina is also a voluntary part time EO of Horse Safety Australia and an honorary lifetime member of the Australian Camps Association (due to her involvement in the SA camping organisation, then the national committee, and with the accreditation process for many years). She recently resigned from a number of other positions as she was running out of time to do anything properly!!!

• Paperwork seems to take up a great deal of management time, and both Peter and Nina would be happier out and about with the staff and campers. However, the constraints of modern businesses require a huge commitment of time and effort to keep everything on track.
  This is ably assisted by the rest of the staff, all of whom give many voluntary hours to the work at Wirraway, in addition to their formal work time, to spend time with campers and complete the many duties which required extra time.
  The Arnotts have two daughters, Christy and Juli, both of whom grew up at the campsite and benefited greatly from the community lifestyle and freedom of living in the country with so many exciting activities on hand.

• After 29 years living as on site managers, Pete and Nina have moved down the road to Strathalbyn, with Peter still travelling to the camp every camp day and fully involved in every aspect of the activities, and Nina working mainly from home doing administrative work and training related to the RTO, and also working for Horse Safety Australia part of the time.