Mary Cover Lawry

Mary Cover Lawry (née Hassall) (12 December 1799–25 December 1825) was a missionary, as were her father Rowland Hassall and husband Walter Lawry. She was born in Parramatta during its early days. While in Tonga, she was able to quickly develop relationships with Tongan woman through shared interests in their children, husbands, and homes. Margaret Reeson wrote the biographical fiction book Currency Lass (1985) about Lawry's life. She said about the book, "For a long time I wanted to write a storey that expressed what it was like to be a missionary’s wife. So many have lived marvellous lives, but as they mostly exist in their husband's shadow, little is heard of the job they do." Early life Mary Cover Hassall, the daughter of Elizabeth and Rowland Hassall, was born in Parramatta, New South Wales on 12 December 1799. She was born a year after her parents arrived in Sydney on the Nautilus, after having been Anglican missionaries at Tahiti. She acquired a good education and upbringing, which was unusual for the time and place. Like her parents, she was compassionate, self-determined, practical, and enterprising.