Now, she has produced her first major work, a biography of her lawyer father, Arthur Gilbert Quartley (MBE, military division).
Mr Quartley (1882-1967) was born near Waihola and later moved to Auckland. He fought in the Battle of the Somme in World War 1, was a Devonport borough councillor, racehorse owner and key figure in pony club and hunting circles.
Mrs Irvine launched "Q", a 130-page A4 sized book printed by ODT Print, at the Wanaka Library and is donating $10 from each sale to the Wanaka Riding for the Disabled Club.
She said she had got much pleasure from producing something for her family.
The book also gave her an incentive to visit places in England connected with her ancestors.
"I have had a lot of laughs but it is also a serious, important document on the passage of time in New Zealand, especially the First World War . . . It just gives you little window peeps into New Zealand at the place and time," she said.
Writing the biography had brought back images of a man seen always through the haze of cigarette smoke, reclining in a big leather chair with his feet on his desk, dictating to an intimidated secretary, Mrs Irvine wrote.
"I had a father whom I admired and loved, and as I grew older I was to find out that he was much loved and admired by many people," she said.
Mrs Irvine is a keen tramper and skier. She studied at the Elam School of Fine Arts in Auckland.
She and her husband, Balfour Irvine, lived and worked for many years in Australia. About 11 years ago, they bought property in Wanaka.
The couple moved back to New Zealand several years ago.
The book is available at Wanaka Paper Plus. Mrs Irvine plans to donate copies to the Otago Early Settlers Museum and the Wanaka Library.
