Margaret Beryl DOUGLAS

Margaret Beryl Douglas was born 16th July 1924 in Hawera, Taranaki on the south island of New Zealand. She was one of five children alongside her siblings Kathleen, Bill, Hugh and Brian.

She grew up on the family dairy farm "Tura Tura Mokai" in New Zealand and enjoyed her childhood days. In the days when you made your own fun she taught herself how to play the Ukelele and was often seen performing an impromptu concert at 76 Murphy Rd after a few gins and some eager persuasion.

Marg attended Tura Tura Primary School and later went to boarding school at Queen Margaret's College in Wellington. Her grades can be found in her Gradebook¹²³⁴⁵⁶. For a time she worked in the Farmers Co-op and Newton King as a stock and station supplier in New Plymouth. It was here she excelled in swimming and music as seen by the mentions in the newspaper. Marg got her Driving License in New Zealand. After boarding school she completed her hairdressing apprenticeship in New Plymouth before starting work at the Maeder Hair Salon in Wellington. This was the time she met her dear friends Nancy Braun and Chris Rendell and they lived together at Donnybrook Boarding House. She was fired from the hair salon for being too slow and then worked at Charles Begg Record Company before she and Nancy decided to see the world. They caught a boat to Sydney, Australia and lived together in a flat at Elizabeth Bay (Winston Flats, Ithaca Road) where they both worked at the Reserve Bank. She met her husband, Lindley, in Darling Point where he was currently an A Grade Rugby League player with Newtown. They were married at St Canice's Chapel in Kings Cross and lived at Fern St, Clovelly. Their first 6 children were born here at Fern St until Lindley was transferred with the Navy as Official Secretary of the Captain of the Port. She enjoyed making a new home at 76 Murphy Rd, Zillmere, Brisbane. She planted a lot of trees by herself and also hand dug a swimming pool, pouring the concrete herself.

Marg always made people feel comfortable and offered a good feed and a cup of tea and company for those who dropped in. Having never continued to tertiary education, she was an avid reader and was always aware that you are never too old to learn. She tried and succeeded at many recipes and invested in a pasta maker for delicious home made pasta. Self taught in most things, she had an ability to pick things up by watching or by trial and error. She loved gardening and dug an abundant veggie garden from scratch. A free spirit, she liked the weeds to grow among the flowers and vegetables.

She owned a bookstore in Brisbane for a short time called the "Zillmere Book Exchange" on Zillmere road (around 432 Zillmere Rd) and used to walk to it to work and read a lot during her time there. On occasion she travelled to go home to New Zealand, over to the USA to see her son John or to Ballina to see Douglas and McLean family.

Marg was a heavy smoker and had a cough you could recognise from a mile away. Perhaps another McLean trait passed through the generations. She lived at the house at 76 Murphy Rd until she became quite sick fairly quickly and was admitted to hospital. She passed away on the 30th of May 2005 surrounded by her children in the hospital.