[2] Her early life was marked by a close connection to nature due to her upbringing in a rural setting.
[2] She pursued nursing as a career and, in the 1970s, obtained a PhD in sociology from the University of New South Wales (UNSW).
[2] In 1957, she married Michael Messer, a biochemistry professor known for his research on marsupial milk.
[2] By 1970, she was involved in the establishment of the Lane Cove Bushland and Conservation Society in Greenwich.
[2] In 2000, Messer received the Serventy Conservation Medal from the Australian Wildlife Society.