Community & Business
4 February, 2026
Amber celebrates 25 years at Gilgandra Preschool
Educator Amber Bunter celebrates 25 years at the preschool this January.
Along with the first day back for students, preschool educator Amber Bunter celebrated a significant career milestone last week, marking 25 years at Gilgandra Preschool.
Amber officially reached the quarter-century mark on January 29. She began her official tenure at the preschool in 2001 however, she also started volunteering there when her own daughters were attending the centre prior to her employment.
Reflecting on the last two and a half decades, Amber said she loved her job and working within the early childhood sector.
"It is a real privilege to work with children and their families in the wider community," she said.
Prior to her time at Gilgandra Preschool, Amber also worked with Connect Five. Since joining the preschool, her role has been diverse. Functioning as an educator and speech facilitator, she worked closely with occupational therapists in a facilitation role.
Her focus remained on helping children develop their wellbeing and social skills to get ready for school. Amber noted this was achieved through interaction, conversations, and play. She said developing good relationships and trust with families, caregivers, and extended families was essential.
Amber has become an integral part of Gilgandra, having witnessed the preschool's history firsthand. She recalled when the facility was located on Warren Road and observed the physical campus change from a backyard and one room to the current facility which includes a therapy room, large play and exploration areas, a big outdoor area, and pets.
"Big changes and [the] amount of children, increase of children," she noted regarding the preschool’s growth.
She also saw the staff evolve, working alongside different directors and long-term colleagues. She noted that current director Kristy Hyndes had been the longest-serving leader she had worked with.
For Amber, the job was often about the "little moments" rather than the big ones. She valued the conversations when a child shared something or simply wanted help.
Because she had been with the service for so long, the work became multi-generational. Amber said she enjoys seeing former students return to bring in their own children to preschool. However, she admitted it was still a "bit of a shock" when the children moved up to 'big school' and then she sees how much they have grown out in the community.
Reflecting on her industry, Amber said the sector could be undervalued for what educators did. She noted there had been really big changes in the sector and staff had to adapt to them as they came in.
Gilgandra Preschool director Kristy Hyndes offered her congratulations to Amber, describing her as a valuable member of the team.
"Amber has been here through the evolution of the preschool," she said. "We would be lost without her."
Kristy described Amber work as a "mammoth effort" and said she was an integral part of the organisation.
"She is part of the furniture here," she said. "The community and preschool are lucky."
The team gave Amber a small celebration last week to honour the 25 year milestone and presented Amber with a big bunch of flowers.
