Born on May 18, 1927 to Hector and Marie Vassie in Plymouth, England, Lilian met a dashing Australian called Roy O’Neill from the RAAF 10th Squadron during the second World War, and they married in 1944.

Goff was welcomed into the world in 1946 and the pair travelled to Australia by ship along with hundreds of other English war brides after the war, while Roy returned with the RAAF.

From there he escorted his family home by train to the family property at Richmond, where legend has it, Lil expected the three kilometre driveway to the Patroy homestead to be tree lined with lush fields as in England.

She was in for a big surprise.

Patty was born in 1949, Lyn in 1955 and John came along in 1957.

It took time but Lilian, the “English Rose”, won over the landed gentry and was warmly welcomed into the district, where she gained a reputation for having the best parties in the district, and for hosting Governor Sir Henry Abel Smith and Lady May.

Generous to a fault, a terrific cook, articulate and stylish, she always stood out in a crowd.

She loved music, was in the front row when the Beatles appeared in Brisbane, loved Dame Shirley Bassey, and never missed an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical.

Drought and declining wool prices took their toll on wool producers, after many hard years at Patroy and later Glenalvon, Roy and Lilian sold up and moved into Richmond.

Roy worked for the council and Lilian at Richmond Stores.

With Roy’s passing in 1986, Lilian retired to Buderim on the Sunshine Coast, where she passed away on September 26.