We are all a product of our life experiences, and those experiences shape who we become. As someone once said, if your partner doesn’t support you and what you care about, and vice versa, your partnership won’t last long. Amanda Large and Dave Butcher exemplify this truth through their enduring relationship, which is built on mutual respect, shared affinity, and a deep connection to the natural world. Their story is the last in my Valentine's series. 

Amanda Large and Dave Butcher’s love story is one built on shared values, mutual respect, and a deep connection with the natural world. Their journey together has been a slow burn, beginning as colleagues and developing into a lifelong partnership.

They first met in the mid-1980s through work, when Amanda was running the animal welfare branch for local government, and Dave, interested in the welfare of research animals, provided advice in that area.

Amanda asked him to come in for a discussion, which stretched toward lunchtime.

When Dave asked if she’d like to go to lunch, she firmly replied, ‘Thank you very much, I’ve got my own packed lunch.’

That was the end of lunch invitations, but they continued working together on a consultative committee for animal welfare, which led to the establishment of a system for animal welfare within research institutions. 

They remained colleagues for several years before their relationship evolved into something more.

Dave recalls Amanda as being ‘very, very attractive,’ though it was another five or six years before they married.

Amanda, when reviewing nominations for the committee, summed Dave up with the comment: ‘apparently competent.’ 

Over the years, their relationship has thrived on shared values, similar political outlooks, and a mutual fascination with animals and the environment.

It was Dave’s promise of a long-awaited horse that sealed the deal when they moved to their property in 2009, finding their home within weeks and never looking back..

Winning hearts and changing lives. The horse brought Amanda and Dave to Jamberoo, and this bond proves it was meant to be

Despite their different career paths, Amanda transitioning from veterinary science to law, and Dave, a veterinarian, dedicating much of his life to animal welfare and conservation, including leadership roles with Western Plains Taronga Zoo, RSPCA, WWF and Greening Australia, they have always supported each other’s ambitions.

Their life together is a blend of shared and independent pursuits. 

Both are actively involved in the community through the Red Cross, the Jamberoo Valley Classic Vehicles Club, and the Jamberoo Rural Fire Brigade, but they each take on distinct roles within these organisations.

Amanda describes their relationship as one of balance, time together, time apart, and constant learning. “You have to keep it interesting,” she says. “When you work from home, like I do, you need to get out and do things, so you have something to talk about when you come back.”

Though they never had children together, their life has been rich in companionship, community, and purpose.

The key, Amanda believes, is their enduring ability to make each other laugh and their shared love for the world around them.