Marie Laurie, who will soon celebrate her 90th birthday, and who can often be spied cruising her mobility scooter, dubbed “the wagon”, along Church Street with her faithful four-legged friend, was born in the long since closed Roma Maternity hospital in Barrington Street in 1935.

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Marie’s grandparents arrived in Gloucester in the early years of the twentieth century, and her parents Bill and Mary Maslen moved to the Speldon dairy farm off Jacks Road when Marie was about five, just before they enrolled her in the one teacher Forbesdale School.

The Speldon dairy farm, which is still owned and operated by the Maslen family, now milking 800 cows in a modern 50-unit rotary, had about 30 or 40 head when Marie and her parents moved onto the property.

After primary school Marie enrolled in the Gloucester school which then accepted primary and secondary students, and she usually rode her horse or her bike to Jacks Road where she caught the bus into town.

Marie does not claim to have been the best of students.

“I didn’t like school at all, except for one day each week where I had sewing with Mrs Jenkins,” said Marie.

“I left school when I was 15 and then worked on my parent’s dairy farm until going nursing when I was 18 at Royal North Shore Hospital.”

After finishing her training Marie nursed at the Gloucester hospital for a few months before marrying Cliff Laurie and moving to his remote 1000-acre farm at Moppy, where the only access was via horseback.

“I loved farm life, and we had three children – Joanne, James and Ted – who were all home schooled until high school when they went to boarding school in Sydney,” said Marie.

“My husband died in 1992, but James and Ted are still on the farm, however I recently, and very reluctantly, moved to town.”

Bringing up children and farming was Marie Laurie’s life, and although her passion for sewing and embroidery had never left her, it was while on a holiday in the UK in 1985 that she discovered lacework.

She has since acquired an international reputation in that field, becoming in 2010 the co-author of a book titled “the Borris Lace Collection”.

“Since discovering lacework… she has worked most needlepoint techniques as is known as an experienced needlewoman, author, judge, speaker, successful national and international exhibitor and recognised lace specialist,” explains the book’s publisher.

“Marie teaches Youghal, Carrickmacross, Limerick, Irish applique, Zele, Branscombe, Hollie point, Halas, Teneriffe, Gyor and Hoveji Laces.”

As much as she has achieved, Marie Laurie has one remaining unfulfilled ambition in life.

“I’d really love to be able to parachute from a plane,” she said.

By John WATTS