A rural community near Bellingen, NSW
Shamballa Co-op Ltd.
Shamballa is a housing co-op of 26 members. The land is nestled in the upper valley of Boggy Creek in Thora, near Bellingen. It varies from rainforest to bush. We do our best to look after the land together, make democratic decisions together, and get things done along the way.
Where we are
632 acres in the Bellinger Valley
The land sits along Boggy Creek Road at Thora, south-west of Coffs Harbour and ten minutes from the thriving village of Bellingen. It's a verdant patch of subtropical bush and rainforest with the crystal clear Boggy Creek running through it, 17 home sites, gardens, sheds and shared paddocks. Members pay an annual levy that keeps the roads, bridges and equipment in good shape.
Everyday life
Living here
Growing food
Vegetable beds and fruit trees sit around the property, with each household tending their own patch. There’s always someone happy to swap tips or a few extra seedlings.
A balance between shared resources and self- determination
Households mostly operate independently on their own allotment, but we run a two shared tractors, firefighting equipment and other resources so nobody has to buy everything themselves. It keeps costs down and jobs manageable.
Showing up.
Working bees, a monthly Friday gathering and quarterly meetings. Community here is built on turning up and pitching in.
How we run
A steady rhythm, not red tape
We're a registered co-operative with a clear rhythm to the year. Here's how the community actually works day to day.
Monthly working bees
Once a month we get together for a working bee - roads, bush regen, fire prep and shared projects.
Social gathering
A monthly Friday afternoon catch up, to wind down and stay in touch with each other outside of the to-do list.
Quarterly meetings
We hold formal meetings each quarter to sort out community matters, plus an annual general meeting to elect office bearers.
Who to talk to
Our Board of Directors
Seven directors are elected by the members to look after community matters between meetings. Reach the secretary at secretary@shamballa.com.au.
Bryan Duffy
Director
Lyn Woodbury
Director
Tania Angeli
Director
Gabrielle Tindall
Director
Wendy Tanner
Director
Alex Halsted
Treasurer
Jill Hely
Secretary
Say hello
Get in touch
Interested in co-operative living, or just have a question? Send us a note and we'll get back to you.
315 Boggy Creek Road, Thora, NSW 2454
secretary@shamballa.com.au