A whirlwind romance that stood the test of time

• Village News

Sonia Lim 18 Feb 2026

Love stories often begin in the most unexpected ways – and for Shirley and Maxwell, it all started with a night of dancing.

At just 21 years old, Shirley traveled to Parramatta with her girlfriends for an evening out. It was a night filled with laughter, music and carefree fun. After the dance, a young gentleman approached Shirley and kindly offered to drive her and her friends’ home. Grateful for the gesture, they accepted, little knowing that this simple act of kindness would mark the beginning of a lifelong love story.

The very next day, Maxwell appeared at Shirley’s workplace in Penrith during her lunch break, asking her for a date. What followed was a whirlwind romance. Just four months later, the couple got married.

Shirley and Maxwell tied the knot in the spring of September 1956 at Penrith Catholic Church, surrounded by family and friends. They began their married life in Baulkham Hills, where Maxwell worked at the Sydney Morning Herald for 20 years before later becoming a bookmaker. Eventually, the couple made their way to Bathurst, the place they continue to call home today.

Reflecting on their journey together, Shirley smiles and says Maxwell has been “a real gentleman from the day I met him until today.”

At RFBI Bathurst Masonic Village, it’s stories like Shirley and Max’s that remind us love can grow from the simplest of beginnings and that with kindness, commitment and companionship, it can last a lifetime.

Read more stories from our villages here.