Communities Don’t Run Themselves
Long before the gates open, before crowds wander through the displays and before the first axe strikes timber, Charlie Fancett is already hard at work.
Sheridan Motbey | Glenreagh Rural Fire Brigade
Coming Home to the Orara Valley
For some people, finding home means discovering somewhere new.
For Shez, it meant returning to the valley where her family’s story began.
Born in Upper Orara in 1987 to Peter and Brenda Rollans, Shez grew up surrounded by the landscapes, stories and strong community connections of the Orara Valley. Her grandparents, Fay and Trevor Rollans, built their family home on a ten-acre block in Upper Orara in 1972. Over the years, it became a gathering place shared by four generations of the family.
Those roots stretch even further through the district.
Shez’s grandmother Fay, née Potts, was connected to a family that once owned the Coramba Hotel. Fay’s father, Victor Potts, served in the First World War before becoming a butcher in Coramba, taking orders and delivering meat by horse and cart.
It is a family history shaped by hard work, rural life and a deep connection to the valley.
So when Shez and her family purchased their first home in Glenreagh in 2022, the move felt like much more than a change of address.
“It felt like I was coming home,” she says.
Building a Life in Glenreagh
Shez had always hoped to return to the Orara Valley to raise her two daughters, Lilly and Katy, in a quieter rural community.
After moving to Glenreagh with her husband, Justin, she relocated her eight-year family daycare business, Shez’s Family Daycare, to the village. The family quickly became involved in local activities, organisations and community events.
For Shez, country living means being able to slow down and appreciate the small moments that can easily be missed elsewhere.
“It’s a hot chocolate on a cold morning on the front verandah, watching the fog slowly lift and the morning light creep over the mountain ranges,” she says.
“It’s being able to hear the birds and see nature all around us—from the river and paddocks to the mountains, trees and sandstone escarpment.”
It is also about raising children in a place where neighbours look out for one another and families can feel connected to the community around them.
Timber in the Family
Timber heritage has long been part of Shez’s family story.
Her grandfather, Trevor Rollans, worked for the Forestry Commission of New South Wales from 1954 until 1997, primarily as a plant mechanic.
While Shez was growing up, he would take the family “up the bush”, sharing his knowledge, memories and love of the landscape.
The family has also recently reconnected with relatives they never knew existed, including a cousin, Steven Rollan, who operates a steam-powered sawmill and may have previously taken part in the Glenreagh Timber Festival.
These family connections give Shez a strong appreciation for the timber traditions celebrated by the festival and the importance of keeping those stories alive.
Sharing the Festival with a New Generation
The 2026 Glenreagh Timber Festival will be Shez’s fourth year attending the event.
During her first two years, she took part in the motorcycle show and shine. More recently, she has represented the Glenreagh Rural Fire Brigade—an organisation that has become an important part of her family’s connection to the village.
But the festival also reminds her of her own childhood.
Growing up, Shez was heavily involved in the Orara Valley Fair, helping with children’s and adults’ races, gumboot throwing, hay bale events and other traditional country activities.
The Timber Festival now gives her the opportunity to share that same community spirit with Lilly and Katy.
“This festival allows me to share with my own girls what commitment and community are all about,” she says.
“And it creates memories that will live with them forever—even if they have to wake up early on a frosty morning.”
Each year, the family invites relatives and friends from across the region to meet them in Glenreagh for a full day of entertainment, history and connection.
For Shez, the festival can be described in three words:
Country.
Memories.
Community.
Supporting the Glenreagh RFS
The Glenreagh Timber Festival is not only a celebration. It is also one of the most important fundraising opportunities of the year for many local organisations.
For the Glenreagh Rural Fire Brigade, the festival provides vital funds that help the brigade purchase consumables and continue operating effectively—particularly during fire season.
Shez believes visitors may not always realise how much their attendance supports the village.
Every ticket purchased contributes to the community groups that provide volunteers, services and activities throughout the event.
“It puts money back into our town and allows Glenreagh to thrive,” she says.
For organisations such as the RFS, that support can make a meaningful difference.
The People Who Make Glenreagh Special
Ask Shez who the real characters of the festival are, and she does not point to one particular person.
Instead, she speaks about everyone who gets involved.
The local school students performing with their choir or dance group.
The Lions Club volunteers cooking for the crowds.
The people who travel from near and far to help.
The woodchoppers, craftspeople and exhibitors preserving the district’s timber heritage.
And every community member willing to raise their hand and have a go.
Shez experienced Glenreagh’s welcoming spirit from the day her family moved into town.
After a full day of moving, she stopped at the local pub to collect takeaway dinner for everyone who had helped. Inside, she was greeted by three people—a staff member and two patrons—who were warm, friendly and genuinely excited to hear that her family was moving to Glenreagh.
She returned to the house and told everyone, “We’re home.”
It was a small encounter, but one she has never forgotten.
“Welcoming arms, friendly faces, dedication to each event and supporting one another—that is what makes this community special,” she says.
A Festival Memory to Find
Of course, not every festival memory is serious.
Somewhere, Shez says, there is a photograph of her wearing her complete RFS uniform—boots and all—while taking part in a pole fitness and aerial hoop demonstration.
“If anyone knows where that photo is, I’d love a copy!” she laughs.
It is the kind of unexpected moment that captures the fun and character of festival day.
People step outside their usual roles, join in and create stories that are remembered long after the festival grounds have emptied.
Keeping Glenreagh’s Traditions Alive
For Shez, traditions must be preserved so future generations can understand the people, industries and community spirit that shaped Glenreagh.
“If we lose the festival, we lose part of our town’s heritage and identity,” she says.
The festival gives children the opportunity to experience timber history, rural traditions and community volunteering firsthand. It also allows families and friends to gather, reconnect and create new memories together.
When asked to finish the sentence, “The spirit of Glenreagh is…”, Shez has a simple answer.
“You.”
It is every person who volunteers their time.
Every community group that contributes.
Every visitor who arrives ready to support the village.
And every family that shares the experience with the next generation.
Because the spirit of Glenreagh does not belong to one person or organisation.
It lives in everyone who shows up, gets involved and helps keep the story going.
Read More Tales
Country, Community and Keeping Traditions Alive
For more than 40 years, the Glenreagh Pony Club has helped local children build confidence, develop horsemanship skills and discover a love of country life.
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