When Jeni first met her husband, Ray, she was certain about one thing: she didn’t want children. The idea of raising a large family seemed unimaginable. Ray, however, dreamed of having at least four kids. “I thought he was crazy,” Jeni recalls with a laugh. But life has a way of surprising us. More than 30 years later, Jeni and Ray are the proud parents of sixteen children — making them one of Australia’s biggest families.
From their home in Toowoomba, Queensland, the Bonells raised nine boys and seven girls: Jesse, 35, Brooke, 34, Claire, 31, Natalie, 30, Karl, 28, Samuel, 26, Cameron, 25, Sabrina, 24, Tim, 22, Brandon, 20, Eve, 19, Nate, 17, Rachel, 16, Eric, 15, Damian, 14, and their youngest, Katelyn, 10. Two are now married, grandchildren have joined the picture, and yet their home remains full of energy, laughter, and movement. With at least eight children still living at home, quiet moments are rare.
Feeding and Running a Household of Eighteen
Managing meals for such a big family is no small task. Jeni spends around $600 a week on groceries — a figure that has grown with rising costs. Their weekly shopping list includes 50 liters of milk, 14 boxes of cereal, 45 tubs of yogurt, four dozen eggs, and up to two loaves of bread each day. Grocery runs always require two overflowing trolleys, often with a child in tow to help push.
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