On a bright, sunny day in July, Senior Lecturer in the School of Law, Julia Day, officiated at the marriage of her former student and now friend Madison Rawsthorne to long-time partner Dylan Fisher.
“It was an incredible joy, and I felt very honoured to be part of such a beautiful experience,” said Julia, who came to the couple’s rescue when their original marriage celebrant became unavailable just a week out from their big day.
“It was magical having Julia there and doing this for us. The ceremony was perfect and she did an amazing job,” said Madison.
The pair met when Julia was teaching Tort Law back in 2020, during the COVID pandemic.
“Julia is such a personable person, very approachable and not at all intimidating,” said Madison. “I would listen to her lectures online. Then, after I graduated and Julia moved to Tamworth, our friendship deepened over shared experiences. There was that sense of quiet knowing between us.”
“We have so much in common, even though I’m old enough to be Maddy’s Mum, and we’ve been through a lot of ups and downs together,” Julia said. “We became mates over time, and her 14-year-old son started a friendship with my 14-year-old son, who hung out together at the wedding.”
The intimate ceremony on the NSW South Coast included the Celtic tradition of handfasting – the origin of the phrase “tying the knot” – in which the couple’s hands are bound together to symbolise their enduring bond.
“And, in our case, we asked each of our three children to tie ribbons to the plaited rope, to denote that they are an important part of our union, too,” Madison said. “That was an intensely meaningful way for us to celebrate our family.”
In keeping with proper procedure, Madison and Dylan plan will legally wed in November, to coincide with their 10-year anniversary. “We just had the party first,” the bride said.
And as fun as the experience was, Julia has no plans to segue into a new career, at least not yet. “Maybe it will be a retirement gig,” she said. “I feel really blessed that my job at UNE gives me the opportunity to meet so many wonderful and interesting people. And that just because a course ends, it doesn’t necessarily mean our relationship ends. At a smaller university like UNE, you get to know your students.”
