It was the spring of 1979 and love was in the air for Anne Sedgwick and Lyn Hawkins, whose affair started on the dance floor at the Northbridge nightclub Feathers.

Nearly 40 years later, the Lower Chittering women can finally put an official stamp on their long-term commitment when they today become WA’s first gay couple to get married.

But it’s a bittersweet celebration for the couple, with Lyn, 85, facing her final days as she loses her battle with ovarian cancer.

Her illness has meant they have been given an exemption to the 30-day waiting period required for any couple intending to marry in Australia.

Their wedding is believed to be Australia’s third same-sex marriage, with two other couples getting hitched in Sydney and Melbourne yesterday. Same-sex couples without an exemption must wait until January 9, a month after legislation was passed to change the Marriage Act.

“Because we couldn’t get married before this, we couldn’t say to the world, ‘here we are, we love one another and want to seal it (legally)’,” Anne, 70, said.

“Our commitment ceremony in 1980 was a marriage in all but legality. It’s taken a long time, but all these years later we can finally make it legal.”

Anne “popped the question” the second time shortly before the plebiscite vote last month.

Published by PerthNow, Sunday 17th December 2017 - Regina Titelius,