Bond University study: Happiness Index reveals Australia’s kindest country town

City slickers might have a thing or two to learn about kindness from rural and regional folk, with a massive study revealing that if you want to live in a considerate community, you’ll have to travel quite a way to find it.

Exclusive: They have big hearts in the heart of Australia, and the biggest of all can be found in Kimba.

Located exactly halfway between Sydney and Perth, Kimba is not only home to the Big Galah, it also boasts Australia’s highest percentage of volunteers, making it the country’s kindest place.

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Kimba is the home of kindness and the Big Galah. Picture: Supplied

Bond University’s Happiness Project found more than half the 1000 residents of Kimba, 460km northwest of Adelaide, were volunteers.

Western Australia’s Mount Marshall, 350km northeast of Perth, was the only other Australian community to register volunteering rates above 50 per cent. Lake Grace and Dowerin, also in WA, and South Australia’s Cleve rounded out Australia’s top-five kindest towns.

Volunteering rates around the country were compared as part of the massive research project, which used the most recent Census data and a host of other publicly available information to measure key categories affecting quality of life across 540 Australian local government areas (LGAs).

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Volunteer rates were compared as part of the community score and found rural and regional folk across Australia the kindest, by a country mile.

In Victoria West Wimmera, Buloke, Yarriambiack, the Borough of Queenscliffe and Hindmarsh had the highest volunteering rates while in New South Wales it was Lockhart, Greater Hume Shire, Temora, Walcha and Weddin (whose residents clearly paid the price for spending so much time helping others, as they also had the State’s worst work-life balance).

Lifetime Kimba resident and volunteer Jo Schaefer said having a community full of people willing to help made the town happier and healthier.

Volunteering rates around the country were compared as part of the massive research project, and found rural and regional folk across Australia were the kindest. Picture: Theo Fakos

The Happiness Project also names Kimba as one of the country’s most loved-up towns, with an extraordinarily high percentage of couples.

“I have been on many committees, school governing councils and volunteer at the golf, football and netball club,” Mrs Schafer said. “It is only a small community but people really do care about each other and people passing through which is a very comforting feeling. Volunteering is very important for social contact and sense of worth and makes you a better person by helping others.”

With more than 800 hours volunteering under his belt, retired truck driver and Kimba Country Fire Association firefighter Ray O’Malley is grateful to call Kimba home.

“I feel honoured to be part of a community where everybody works so hard to keep the place alive,” Mr O’Malley said. “Kimba’s (residents) endeavour to draw people in by making them so welcome. You really have to live here to understand it.”

Kimba’s previous claim to fame was its location ‘halfway across Australia’ but Mr O’Malley said the townsfolk were always willing to go the extra mile.

“Why do I do it? I don’t know! I must admit it got a hold of me a bit,” he said.

“It’s not hard to put your hand up and say, ‘how can I help’?”

Kimba Mayor Dean Johnson is king of the kindest town

Kimba mayor Dean Johnson said the work of volunteers had become fundamental to the everyday functioning of the town.

“The main focus of our volunteering seems to be for things related to tourism and economic development, as well as the provision of health services and sport,” Mr Johnson said.

“Kimba can boast hundreds of volunteers running around sporting fields and working behind the scenes on any given weekend, be it coaching, on a committee or volunteering their time to wash uniforms. In the end, volunteering actually provides rewards far more fulfilling than any paid position could ever offer.”

With Bond University student journalist Niamh Sullivan

Data was taken from the most recent 2016 Census and other public sources to score each LGA out of 10 in nine categories: housing affordability, education, community, jobs, wealth, accessibility, work-life balance, safety and health. Each category draws on a number of factors for its score, and each LGA is also given an overall quality of life score, resulting in a searchable online map.

Originally published as Bond University study: Happiness Index reveals Australia’s kindest country town