Week 12: Northern Rivers: ‘Our Vets & Nurses Are Angels'

When the bushfires raged, these fearless animal lovers mounted an incredible rescue operation

- Lizzie Wilson

It’s hard to imagine there’s a kinder woman than grandmother-of-four Marley Christian, who gave up her old life to devote her time to our koalas.

At 57, Marley, who is also a mum-of-three, made the decision six years ago to move north from Foster to Lismore to follow her dream of becoming a veterinary nurse.

“I worked for years with special needs kids, and at the same time, I nursed both my parents with cancer. They died within two years of each other, and I fell apart and depression took over – it was crippling,” Marley tells Woman’s Day. “My daughter Melanie who lives in Lismore – a place I never really liked – begged me to come for a two-week holiday. Under great duress I went, and I’ve been here ever since!”

Keen to get involved in the community, Marley took to the Yellow Pages looking for wildlife parks to sign up as a volunteer, and came across an organisation known as Friends of the Koala.