RB SELLARS SPRING SUMMER 2021
THE LEE FAMILY
Photographed by Jessica Howard and produced in collaboration with Graziher Magazine.
Finding time to spend with friends can be difficult when you have a young family, but photographer Allie Lee believes that it is one of life’s simple pleasures.
With four young children and a growing photography business, Allie Lee leads a very busy life. Dividing her time between the family home on the outskirts of Brisbane and her father-in-law’s property nestled at the foot of Queensland’s Carnarvon Range, Allie says she feels privileged to be living a wonderful mixture of life in the bush and the city fringe. She describes her husband Anthony as “one of the greatest guys” and says her children Harlan, eight, Immi, six, Bayley, five, and three-year-old Darcy are the absolute joys of her life.
Determined to give her children the same adventurous and free childhood she enjoyed growing up, Allie has spent a lot of the past two years at Anthony’s family property, Dooloogarah, in central Queensland, allowing the children to immerse themselves in the magic of a remote cattle station. During this time the family has formed a very special friendship with station manager Pat Hagger.
“He has become one of our most special mates,” Allie says. “He is a true bushman — hardworking, humble, kind, and more than anything else, patient. We come to Dooloogarah like a tornado of noise and mess, making demands for adventure and exploration. He’s like a father to the kids when Anthony can’t be there. He lets us work alongside him, and even though it takes much longer to complete what should be a simple task, he never rushes the kids. He encourages them to learn by letting them make mistakes. Dooloogarah is where our family comes to life and Pat is a big part of that. He has impacted our family more than he will ever know and we are so lucky to have him in our lives.”
At the end of last year, Allie established her photography business, Carnarvon Photography, which she says would not have been possible without the support of her wonderful friends. Many hours were spent discussing the venture with school friend Louisa Harvey, whose support gave Allie the courage to turn her hobby into a career.
“Louie and I have been friends for a long time. Our husbands grew up together and are also great mates. Their family often comes to Dooloogarah with us and their kids feel like part of the story out there. Louie feels more like a sister than a friend. She was the one who told me to back myself and start Carnarvon Photography; without her encouraging words I might never have done it.”
- How important is friendship to you?
"I am so lucky to still have the most amazing group of school friends. We’ve been through everything together and they’re the most hilarious, rowdy girls. Since moving to Brookfield [in Brisbane] eight years ago, I’ve also been fortunate to meet some amazing women who are now some of my closest friends. Our kids spend most weekends at each other’s houses, meals are shared and horses are passed around between families. I’m very lucky to have friends like these: even if we haven’t seen each other for a while, when we catch up it feels like no time has passed. I was nervous about starting my photography business, but my friends were so supportive. They booked family shoots and encouraged me to give it a go, and I will be forever grateful to them."
- How important are friendships when you live in the bush?
"I often think about people living in remote areas who don’t have the comfort of a friend popping in for a chat or someone to lend a hand when they need it. It’s something I miss when we’re at Dooloogarah. I think it’s one of the things that makes women of the bush so incredible. I have so much respect for mums out there — there’s no babysitting, no long lunches with friends —it’s mostly work. But to live a life alongside your family every day is something a lot of people don’t get to do and it’s something I will always cherish. When you are living in a remote area, your family are often the only friends that you see. When we’re at Dooloogarah, our kids are each other’s best friends. It has definitely created a stronger bond between them".
- What do you do to maintain friendships when you have a family?
"There is nothing like the love of a friend, but things definitely shift as you get older and kids take over your life. You have to try to make time for friends, but with four little kids, acreage and too many horses to look after, it’s one thing I’m not always great at. Like every cycle of life, sometimes friends grow and change with you and sometimes they go in different directions."
- What do you like to do with friends?
"I love going away, up to one of the properties for a weekend of riding and campfires. Or family days together watching the kids play and have fun."
- What was it like moving to a new place and making new friends?
"When we moved to Brookfield, it took a while to get to know new people, to feel relaxed and totally be myself around them, but I can honestly say the friendships I have forged there mean the world to me. There are some pretty inspirational women in the area and I am so glad to call them friends. With no sister of my own, I feel like I’ve gained a bunch of them living here."
Our Spring Summer collection offers a range of lightweight linen styles, shirts and shorts, polos and seasonal workshirts in bright colours, with new fabrics and fits for the whole family.
Shop the first of our New Arrivals with more styles dropping online and in-store over the coming weeks.
Sign up to our Newsletter to be the first to know.
We can’t wait to see you in our new collection.
Tag us using #RBSELLARS for your chance to feature on our page.
Click here to follow us at @rb_sellars
