Photographer Allie Lee on the importance of family and friendship in the bush

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.