Unconvential Jane didn’t need a Tarzan
Jane Lawrence has never lived a conventional life.
Born and raised in a time when women were mothers and wives first, she had no desire to marry and spend her life cooking and cleaning for her man.
At 75 years old she’s finally ready to settle down with her first boyfriend - Brian Priest. They first dated 55 years ago but parted ways when he went to university and she focused on living a progressive life.
‘‘I’ve just tumbled from one thing to another. I’ve just done whatever comes next,’’ she said.
‘‘We’ve both been like that.It’s funny that we’ve been so alike and done so many similar things but we’ve been apart for 55 years.’’
Lawrence has lived her life with animals.
An SPCA supporter for 38 years, Brian had to get her dog Tane’s approval before he was fully allowed back in to her life.
She worked as a sign-writer, managed a coffee bar, was a post mistress, a dairy farmer, shepherd and ran a dog kennel for 23 years.
She took pride in doing things herself and not needing a man.
While a post mistress she was held up at knife-point, a hilarious comedy of errors.
‘‘The post office was robbed,’’ she said. ’’There was this little guy with a knife and he said ‘don’t scream’ and I thought, ‘well actually I wasn’t going to’. He was wearing a balaclava but it came around (his chin) and you could see his whole face.’’
‘‘Nowadays sometimes I think 'oh my god is this really happening' and it is’’
Jane Lawrence.
He told her to put money in a bag he hadn’t thought to bring so it went into a tin pot. He wore finger-less gloves.
‘‘They told me to kneel down so I sat on my feet so they couldn’t tie those. He said ‘hold your hands out’ so I held them in front of me.
‘‘Then they gagged me so I said ‘oy, watch it’ and they loosened it off.’’
Jane lived with her mother, they were the best of friends and shared similar interests.
‘‘She’d have made a lovely grandma but then she resigned herself to the fact that all of her grandchildren were going to have four legs and fur.’’
Occasionally she thought of Brian in passing but not often.
‘‘Nowadays sometimes I think ‘oh my god is this really happening’ and it is,’’ she said.
‘‘I’ve never planned my life I’ve always just done whatever comes.’’