Andrew and Natalies Love Story – Class of 1986
Andrew and Natalie’s story is truly the stuff of movie scripts or books. Andrew and Natalie first met in 1986 at Duncraig Senior High School and were introduced to each other by a schoolmate. In fact, Natalie was advised to “Keep an eye on this one.” and as Natalie smiled, and nodded that she would, Andrew knew he was in trouble the moment that Natalie looked up at him. Part way through 1988, Andrew and Natalie went on a Human Biology excursion to Perth Zoo and didn’t realise back then just how meaningful that day would end up being. Science teacher Ms Jacqui Harty took a photo of Andrew and Natalie sitting together under the big oak tree on the main lawn in the Zoo grounds. This was back in the days of film cameras and paper processed photos, now known as a hard copy. This photo turned out to be more significant than either knew at the time.
In 1988 the two would graduate, and remained a rock-solid couple right through their final year of school and a year or so after they graduated. While other young people of their age seemed to have a new boyfriend or girlfriend every other week, Natalie, and Andrew always “just were”. They consistently sought each other out, became and stayed the best of friends. Their friendship was always based on honesty and truth and evolved into the kind of long-lasting romantic love – the longevity that many people dream about. In 1990 life intervened and Natalie and Andrew became separated from each other.
During the 30+ years that followed, they both lived their lives, grew, matured, experienced the highs and lows that we all go through, loved and lost a few times along the way. Neither of them ever forgot about the other and both Andrew and Natalie actively tried to find each other at different points in time. Even while apart, their time together had set the standards against which future relationships would be measured. Over their time apart both developed their abilities in respective fields and professions, not just as young people but throughout their lives in different ways.
Four years ago, Natalie and Andrew found each other again, they took the time to get to know each other over again but both quickly realised that their love for each other was still very much alive.
Andrew and Natalie were inseparable from the moment that they reconnected. They learned that they both had held onto their copy of the photo taken at Perth Zoo in 1988. Ms Harty could not possibly have known just how meaningful and treasured the photo she took would end up being. Andrew and Natalie value that small act from Ms Harty, he mindless kindness of taking a photo led to something that was treasured for years.
In 2022 they returned to recreate that photo, in front of the same tree, albeit a little older and more weathered.
On the 28th of October 2023 Natalie and Andrew finally got married in the one place that has connected them for all these years, at Perth Zoo. Their oak tree is on the main lawn area in the Zoo grounds and has since been memorialised as Tricia’s Tree, after Tricia the elephant passed away in recent years. This means that it will never be removed and that it will always be there.
For Natalie and Andrew, this has special meaning, not just as testament to their journey so far but now in terms of the rest of their lives together.
