Mainstream society would call us nonconformists, as we have always unintentionally avoided the status quo and questioned how a particular system or train thought became the accepted rule. The New Age philosophies of the 70’s intrigued us, and when we heard of the unconventional growing methods of the Findhorn Group in Scotland, we wholeheartedly embraced their concepts on our small organic farm in Auckland.
Family commitments in the early 80’s brought us to Australia, where we included alternative medicines into our studies of the healing powers of nature. After qualifying through Southern Cross Herbal College, we set up an extremely modest clinic in our rented home in Currumbin.
At first Ruth ran the clinic while Dennis continued to work as an Accountant, then we bought our first Australian home in Tallebudgera. Here we became so busy Dennis was fully employed manufacturing medicines. Tallebudgera Herbals soon became a recognised brand, and even though we sold this business in 1992 we still get requests for the ointments.
New manufacturing legislation introduced by the TGA instigated our move to Mermaid Beach. But our long term goal was to set up a Healing Centre where patients could stay and be taught methods of self healing, so we turned our attention to northern New South Wales. Meanwhile Ruth had also started writing for health magazines, including Nature & Health, The Good Life and Zest and was co-hosting a weekly talk-back radio programme and regularly speaking on another station.
The clinic attracted national and inter-national media attention when it was found Ruth had a special affinity with helping infertile couples. When the politics of the Tweed area made it impossible for us to realise our dream of setting up a healing centre, we moved back to Queensland to establish the Narrowleaf Retreat & Healing Centre at Advancetown.
Continual media coverage of Ruth’s success led her to being named ‘One of Queensland’s Most Intriguing Women.’ The extra workload demanded we sell Narrowleaf and move the clinic to Nerang under the name Sharkey’s Healing Centre, which we then sold in 2004.
We still have an active interest in helping people to utilise natural medicines and all forms of natural healing, but have no affiliation with our old clinic.
Throughout the period 1990 to 2004, Ruth managed to find the time to publish eight books which detail our philosophy and methods and usage of herbs and homoeophathics for treating many complaints, especially infertility. See Ruth's Books page for details, as these are all still available through us.
