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.
Will Mackie | Local Wood Turner & Exhibitor
Keeping Old Trades Alive
For Will Mackie, the Glenreagh Timber Festival isn’t just an event.
It’s where passions become connections.
It’s where history comes alive.
And it’s where a love of traditional trades has led him on an unexpected journey from woodworking demonstrations to driving historic steam engines across the countryside.
For several years, visitors to the Glenreagh Timber Festival have seen Will demonstrating woodturning on a remarkable piece of machinery—a 120-year-old foot-powered treadle lathe.
With no electricity and no modern technology, the antique machine offers a glimpse into a time when craftsmanship relied entirely on skill, patience and experience.
For Will, that’s exactly what makes it fascinating.
Discovering a Passion for Timber
Will’s journey into woodworking began as a teenager.
While completing his apprenticeship at Coffs Harbour Hardwoods, he developed a deep appreciation for timber, traditional trades and the skills that have shaped generations of craftspeople.
What started as a job soon became a passion.
“I developed quite a passion for woodworking and all the old trades,” he says.
Over the years that passion expanded beyond timber.
Blacksmithing became another interest, beginning when he was just thirteen years old.
Together, these traditional skills have become part of a lifelong pursuit of craftsmanship and heritage.
A Family of Makers
The skills don’t stop with Will.
His family’s market stall is a unique blend of trades and creativity.
His father trained under a saddler and later operated a leatherworking business, passing those skills down through the family.
Today, leatherworking, blacksmithing and woodworking all come together in a family business that creates handmade products from locally sourced materials.
It’s a modern business built on traditional skills.
And it’s exactly the kind of craftsmanship celebrated at the Glenreagh Timber Festival.
The Festival That Created a Connection
One of the most interesting parts of Will’s story is that the festival didn’t just give him a place to showcase his work.
It introduced him to a whole new community.
A few years ago, while demonstrating woodturning at the festival, Will met members of the Shannondale Steam Shed.
His fascination with antique machinery and heritage equipment had already sparked an interest in steam power.
Meeting the group opened the door to a new adventure.
Before long, he had joined the Steam Shed and become involved in preserving and operating historic machinery.
“It’s been an incredible journey,” he says.
That journey has included operating steam engines, participating in road runs with the Fowler steamroller and learning firsthand about the machinery that once powered industries throughout regional Australia.
Where History Comes Together
What Will loves most about the Glenreagh Timber Festival is the way it brings so many parts of local history together in one place.
The timber industry.
The railway.
The steam engines.
The bullock teams.
The working dogs.
The heritage vehicles.
And the people who keep those stories alive.
“The location really lends itself to the heritage of the area,” he says.
With the railway precinct, McCarthys Mill and the region’s rich timber history, Glenreagh provides the perfect backdrop for celebrating the past while sharing it with future generations.
More Than a Demonstration
For visitors watching Will work on his treadle lathe, it might seem like a simple demonstration.
But what they’re really seeing is something much bigger.
They’re seeing skills that have been passed down through generations.
They’re seeing craftsmanship that still has a place in a modern world.
And they’re seeing how events like the Glenreagh Timber Festival create opportunities for people to discover, share and preserve those traditions.
As the festival approaches its twentieth year, stories like Will’s offer a glimpse into the future.
Because preserving heritage isn’t just about remembering the past.
It’s about inspiring the next generation to pick up the tools, learn the skills and continue the story.
And if Will’s journey is anything to go by, the future of traditional trades is in good hands.
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.
More Than a Festival — A Connection to Community
For the owner of Urunga Chainsaw and Mower, that first introduction to Glenreagh came in 2010 while working as a parole officer in Grafton.
