Finding Home in Glenreagh
Sometimes home is where you’re born. Sometimes it’s where you choose to stay.
Liz Shipman | Glenreagh Creative Group
A Legacy Woven Through Generations
For some families, history lives in photographs and stories.
For Liz, it’s something she sees every year at the Glenreagh Timber Festival.
A family deeply connected to the timber industry.
A sister who helped establish the festival.
A daughter now serving on the festival committee.
And grandchildren discovering the event with the same excitement that previous generations once did.
It’s a story that stretches across decades and perfectly reflects what the Glenreagh Timber Festival has become—a celebration not only of timber heritage, but of the people and families who have helped shape the community.
Creativity at the Heart of Community
As President of the Glenreagh Creative Group, Liz plays an important role in one of the village’s longest-running community organisations.
For more than 45 years, the Creative Group has brought together people with a passion for making, learning and sharing.
From patchwork and embroidery to carving, photography and workshops, the group has provided a place where creativity and companionship go hand in hand.
“It’s about learning and companionship,” Liz explains.
For many members, particularly those in retirement, the group provides opportunities to continue learning new skills while remaining connected to the community around them.
The group also contributes to many local initiatives, including the school, the Cedar and Steam Art Exhibition and, of course, the Glenreagh Timber Festival.
Like so many community organisations in Glenreagh, their impact extends far beyond their own membership.
Timber in the Family
Liz’s connection to the timber industry runs deep.
Her husband worked in timber.
Her father-in-law worked in timber.
And her husband’s family were among some of the early settlers who helped establish the district.
“They helped settle the area,” she says.
Those family ties have given Liz a unique appreciation for the history that surrounds Glenreagh and the industries that helped shape it.
It’s one of the reasons she values the local museum and the role it plays in helping newcomers understand the stories that built the community.
For Liz, preserving local history isn’t about looking backwards.
It’s about ensuring future generations understand where they came from.
Watching the Festival Grow
The Glenreagh Timber Festival has been part of Liz’s life almost from the beginning.
Her sister was one of the people who helped start the event, and today her daughter continues that legacy as the festival’s treasurer.
Seeing that transition from one generation to the next fills Liz with pride.
“It’s as it should be,” she says.
The festival has always relied on people stepping forward to contribute, and Liz believes its future depends on younger generations continuing that tradition.
Looking ahead, she hopes her grandchildren will one day become part of that story too.
Through New Eyes
One of Liz’s greatest joys now is experiencing the festival through the eyes of her grandchildren.
“They absolutely love it,” she says.
For children, the festival is a day of excitement, discovery and adventure.
For grandparents, it’s an opportunity to see traditions continue.
It’s a reminder that while attractions may change and the festival may evolve, the sense of community remains constant.
The next generation is already creating their own memories.
More Than a Festival
When asked about her favourite memories, Liz doesn’t point to a single event.
Instead, she talks about the feeling.
The sense of community.
The friendships.
The way people come together.
She remembers when woodchopping was one of the festival’s major attractions and reflects on how much the event has expanded over the years.
Today, visitors can experience far more than they could in those early days.
Yet the heart of the festival remains unchanged.
It’s still about bringing people together.
It’s still about celebrating local history.
And it’s still about creating memories that will be passed down to future generations.
As the Glenreagh Timber Festival approaches its twentieth year, Liz’s story serves as a reminder that communities aren’t built in a single generation.
They are built over time.
Through families.
Through volunteers.
Through traditions.
And through people who care enough to ensure the story continues.
For Liz, that’s exactly what the Glenreagh Timber Festival represents.
A living legacy, woven through generations.
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