Information for Homestay Hosts
The University of Newcastle regularly attract students from overseas countries. Whilst the main purpose of the students’ visit is to study at the University, they would also like to experience life with an Australian family. This allows them to practice every day English in a social context, and gives them the benefits of community and family life whilst studying in Australia.
Those who host students are able to share in the students’ experiences and learn about another culture. Sharing your home with an international student can enrich your life.
Homestay Hosts
The University of Newcastle is looking for local residents who would like to host an international student in their home either on a short or long-term basis. If you are interested in other cultures and are able to provide a warm, friendly home-environment for an international student, then please apply to be a Homestay host family. We welcome a diverse range of Australian families!
Host Testimonials
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Ansel and Solara Zwaneveld
We have enjoyed the experience of sharing our home since 2002 with students from many different countries and cultures. We have had students from China, Taiwan, Japan, Hungary, Thailand, Korea, Colombia, Hong Kong and Saudi Arabia. At present we have a young lady from Kuwait and a young man from Russia staying with us. Our experience has been that while we offer support and assistance to our students, we also enjoy learning about their families, cultures and homelands.
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Kang Ning ("KK") and Greg Kentish
For many years, The University of Newcastle Homestay Program has provided a fabulous cultural exchange between overseas students and local hosts. Many of the students that we have hosted have become good friends. Some have actually embraced our culture and settled here in Newcastle. We always enjoy having overseas guests.
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Melanie Burgess
What we love about hosting through the Home-Stay program is the way the overseas world revolves through our doors with each new student that comes to stay. Our kids can thank the students that have lived with us for their newfound ability to be able to say 'cheers' in 4 languages, they love sitting at the dinner-table and finding out what the students choose to share as that day's 'low' and ' high' point, and they've discovered that no matter what the skin colour, eye-shape or nose-length - the offer of a kid-cuddle is universally accepted.
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Sandra and Reg Malone
When our daughter went to Japan she was in a homestay and this gave us a sense of comfort to know she was in a safe environment a part of a family. So we wanted to do the same for another family. We have been Homestay hosts since 2007 and have had the opportunity to develop friendships with not just our students but their families as well. We still keep in contact with most of our students and some of them have been back to visit us. Being a Homestay host provided the opportunity for our family to gain a greater awareness of other cultures.
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