She attended Ringwood State School, then went to East Camberwell Girls High School to fourth form. Rosalie was accepted to MacRobertson Girls High and finished fifth form as head prefect. She attended Melbourne University Teachers College and did stints at state schools in various suburbs around Melbourne.

In 1951, she was appointed by the Department of Education to Apsley school and stayed three years, before returning to Melbourne.

It was at Apsley in 1951 she met her future husband Fred (son of Joseph and Isabel Lord). At that time, Fred was working as a carpenter-joiner. He was building soldier settlement houses, allotted to returning servicemen.

The romance flourished and on May 14, 1955 (Rosalie’s 24th birthday), the couple married at St Peters Anglican Church in Ringwood.

Rosalie continued to teach when called, lived in a house built by Fred and had two boys Geoffrey and David.

Nearby, the state government had built a high school and next door to that later on a state primary school. In the mean-time, Fred joined the Victorian Police Force.

Rosalie was on the state primary school committee and was involved with choir work and rearing her family.

After a brief 18-month stint at Warracknabeal in 1965 and 1966, the Lords returned to Ringwood. On June 2, 1970, the Lords arrived in Dimboola and never left.

Three days later, Bim Read arrived at the back door. Rosalie was a Girl Guide from that time on. She became involved in the mother’s union, as an examination supervisor, with Meals on Wheels, the Country Women’s Association, drama club, book club, Save the Children fund, Dimboola Kindergarten and was a life member of the swimming club. Rosalie also taught at Dimboola Memorial High School and was a church organist, relieving Dot Cattanach.

Rosalie started the Dimboola Gateway Shop with three other ladies. The shop was run by Dimboola East Auxiliary Ladies and proceeds went to the Dimboola hospital. For years, Rosalie looked after two disabled older ladies.

In her late teens, Rosalie was taught piano and cello. She joined the MacRobertson Girls High School orchestra and played regularly at evening concerts. She graduated from the London College of Music as a teacher.

Rosalie kept up music when she met Peg McCabe. Both possessed beautiful voices and both were proficient pianists. They got together frequently and entertained at the Dimboola hospital. Rosalie was a wonderful wife, mother and grandmother. No one ever missed out on a birthday card or Christmas card. She was a confident and competent woman, with a keen sense of social justice and a heart that saw the good in every person.