Murray Bridge Rural City Who's Who
Public Profile
Michelle Baxter
welcome to Blessings by Design Art Studio
I'm the owner, founder, and lead teacher of Blessings by Design Art Studio , a creative space where children and families come to explore art, build confidence, and have fun making something they're proud of.
My background is in working with children. I have worked in special education for over 20 years ,and taught art classes for the past 15 years and in the last few years I worked as an Outside School Hours Care Coordinator, leading programs for children from preschool to Year 6. I loved every part of it — building relationships with families, designing engaging activities, and creating an environment where every child felt safe, valued, and excited to be there.
That experience shaped everything I bring to the studio today.
Blessings by Design
I'm not interested in being the biggest art studio — I'm focused on being the best for the families who walk through our door.
That means small class sizes, thoughtful lesson planning, quality materials, and genuine connection.
When you join a class with me, I'll know your child's name, their favourite colour, what they love to draw, and what makes them light up. I'll celebrate their wins and gently encourage them through the tricky bits. Art isn't just about the finished piece — it's about confidence, focus, problem-solving, and joy.
I'd love to welcome your family into our creative community.
Connect through my public pages
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Distinguished and Famous people from Murray Bridge Rural City
🚣 James McRae
James McRae grew up in Murray Bridge and developed his rowing with the local club. He progressed to three Olympic Games, winning bronze in the men’s quadruple sculls at London in 2012 and silver at Rio in 2016. A world championship title in 2011 had already demonstrated the crew’s ability at the highest level. Murray Bridge’s rowing club supported the years of training behind those international results. His international career continued a much older local rowing tradition, giving a new generation its own athlete to follow down the course.
🏉 Chad Wingard
Chad Wingard was born in Murray Bridge and played for Imperials before reaching the AFL. At sixteen he kicked five goals in the club’s 2009 River Murray Football League premiership victory, an emphatic way to introduce a teenager to a senior grand final. He was a talented basketballer, captaining South Australia’s under-sixteen side. Port Adelaide recruited him in the 2011 national draft, and in 2013 he earned All-Australian selection and the club’s John Cahill Medal. He later played for Hawthorn. Local football was a substantial foundation for his career, with the basketball interest providing another strand to his sporting childhood.
🚣 The Murray Cods
The Murray Cods were the Murray Bridge rowing crew that represented Australia in the men’s eight at the 1924 Paris Olympics. Their nickname brought a distinctly river-town identity to an international sporting occasion. The club’s success included King’s Cup victories in 1920, 1922 and 1923, establishing that its achievements reached well beyond local competition. Although the Olympic campaign did not produce a medal, the crew became an enduring part of the town’s sporting memory. Their story also gives rowing a collective cast: it depended on a boatload of people learning to pull together, not simply on one celebrated individual.
