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Homestay Hub

JAPANESE CULTURAL EXPERIENCE

Homestay Hub

Welcome Japanese students to Bathurst and 

share our city, culture and community.

REGISTER TO BECOME A HOST

BATHURST HOMESTAY HUB

Real Homes. Real Connections.

‘Welcome to Homestay Hub. An online platform to access information about Bathurst Regional Council’s Japanese Cultural Exchange Program. The Japanese Cultural Experience program is based at The Bathurst Visitor Information Centre.

For many years, the Bathurst community have welcomed Japanese high school students into their homes for “homestays”.  An opportunity for students to experience life in Australia, practice their English skills and enjoy the sights of Bathurst & surrounds. It is a great chance to share in new cultures with your family and experience our city through new eyes as you show your guests around.

2027 Toyo High School Visit

26 February - 1 March 2027
Discover More ➜

Frequently Asked Questions

Find answers to common questions for host families.
Explore FAQs ➜

Bathurst Regional Council’s Commitment to Child Safety

Discover Information ➜

Sister City relations promote peace, cooperation and community across boarders and nationalities. Bathurst has two recognised Sister City relationships with Ohkuma in Japan and Yanquan in China.

Key Requirements to Host

Students require their own bed in either a single bedroom or a twin share.

Please note if you are hosting more than one student they can share bedrooms. However, students should not be expected to share a bedroom with family members. Students are also not able to share a bed and do require their own.

Throughout the duration of their stay students require breakfast, lunch and dinner as indicated in the Host Family Itinerary that you will be provided with. Some days students may only require breakfast and dinner as they will be having lunch on an excursion. These days will be clearly indicated. 

As a requirement of hosting students all adults who live in the household will require a working with children check and will need to provide the Visitor Information Centre with their working with children identifier number.

Family members are able to apply as a volunteer and select household member as the relative connection to the child.

Read more  →  Working With Children Check through Service NSW

Throughout their stay students have predetermined activities such as school visits or excursions. For these you will need to be able to take your student to school or a central drop off point in Bathurst.

Host families are compensated for their time effort. Depending on the length of stay and visiting group the hosting rates will vary. Contact the Visitor Information Centre to express your interest and we will be able to provide information about compensation for upcoming groups. 

Prior to the student visit the Bathurst Visitor Information Centre will be in contact with all confirmed host families to organise invoicing information.

Information and requirements for upcoming Japanese student homestay groups may vary depending on each visit. To receive the most accurate information about becoming a host family in Bathurst, please contact the Bathurst Visitor Information Centre by emailing visitors@bathurst.nsw.gov.au or calling 02 6332 1444.

Secret Link

Freqently Asked Questions

The rewards from hosting an overseas student in your home can be many, as like the student you will also learn and be enriched by the addition to your family.

Hosting a student encourages your family to see their country through the eyes of the student and creates an opportunity to visit new places and revisit old favourites, to teach our local customs and language, to have lots of fun and, most important of all, to gain a new family member and friend for life. Experiencing a foreign language and culture in your own home can be the next best thing to visiting overseas.

Hosting students falls under the Children’s and Young Persons (Care and Protection) Act 1998, NSW and other similar Acts in all Australian states and Territories. Bathurst Regional Council takes its legal obligations very seriously. Before we can place students or guests with any host family, we require a Working with Children Check to be conducted on all persons living in your house who are over 18 years of age. We ask for your understanding with this process.

We will review your application and if you meet our criteria, if you have not already done so we will contact you to for completion of the Working with Children Check. If all goes well, you will be able to receive students from us for short stays throughout the year.

We have many homestay hosts who have been hosting students for us since our inception.

Yes. Bathurst Regional Council make payments to homestay host families to cover basic expenses like food and activities. For the current payment rates, please contact The Bathurst Visitor Information Centre.

The homestay host should provide the student with accommodation which is safe and a secure family environment conducive to the students social, emotional, physical and education wellbeing. Safe and welcoming, clean and comfortable and appropriately furnished. Each student must have their own bed. A twin or triple share room is permitted but they should not be expected to share a room with family members.

The homestay host will be supplied with a copy of the student’s itinerary. Please follow this itinerary which may include meals to be provided, structured activities and free leisure time. It is imperative homestay hosts are always punctual.

No. The ATO have reviewed their Interpretive Decision ATO ID 2001/381 and continue to treat amounts received by a taxpayer regarding a student who is boarding with them under a homestay arrangement as not assessable under 6-5 of the Income Tax Assessment Act (ITAA 1997)

The taxpayer boards a student in their home under a homestay arrangement. The taxpayer intends to board one or two students at any time. The amounts paid to the taxpayer to board the homestay student are used to pay all the household expenses of the student (food, electricity, phone, internet etc). There may be a negligible amount of surplus money after expenses in any week.

We advise that the host and the student try to resolve any matter that may arise as soon as possible. If this cannot be achieved, please call our helpful staff on 02 6332 1444 to ask questions and to work with you and the student to resolve any issues.

  • Presentation of your property is important so make sure that the house, verandas and garden are clean, tidy and free of clutter.
  • Flowers in the guests’ bedrooms and other parts of the house add a welcoming touch.
  • Avoid having personal papers lying around.
  • Introduce yourself and your family to your guests by the name that you wish them to call you.
  • If guests bow to you upon meeting, return the bow. Shake hands if offered.
  • Be prepared to give your guests as much time as is possible.
  • If a family member’s room is being used for your guests make sure that it is free of excess personal belongings.
  • Provide a bedside light for guests’ use.
  • Extra pillows and blankets should be available if required.
  • A bath towel and face washer can be placed in the guest’s room.
  • Beds to be comfortable.
  • Bathroom and toilet spotlessly clean.
  • If guests are sharing a bathroom with family members maybe allow them to have first use. 
  • Check for wet towels and dirty clothes left in the bathroom.
  • Provide fresh soap and bathmats for guests’ use.
  • Make a towel rail available either in the bathroom or the bedroom for your guests’ use.
  • Your guests may need to do some laundry during their stay, please

assist or advise where the student can do this.

It is advised you have adequate and appropriate insurance covering your property, home and contents and legal liability for the period during which the accommodation is provided. 

Please complete the Homestay Registration form under the ‘Become a Homestay Family’ link on this page and return to council@bathurst.nsw.gov.au.

Homestay parents must apply for a Working with Children Check, along with anyone over the age of 18 who lives, or frequently visits the home where a student will be staying. The link to apply for a Working with Children Check can also be found under the link ‘Become a Homestay Family’.