Nancy Tomlinson, a former diplomat's wife who made her home in Devizes, has died after a brief illness a few days before her 80th birthday.

Lady Tomlinson was born Nancy Gleeson-White in Chalfont St Giles in Buckinghamshire in 1928, but shortly afterwards emigrated to Australia with her family.

She had an idyllic childhood and, because of her clear English speaking voice, was in demand as a child actress.

She appeared in the film Seven Little Australians (1939), which has recently been re-released on DVD, and several radio productions.

She studied at the University of Sydney and was the first woman to graduate with a first class honours in economic history.

She was also one of the first women to enter the Australian diplomatic service.

While visiting London, she had planned to visit the Royal Court Theatre but had to cancel to attend a diplomatic dinner at Australia House.

The high-ranking British diplomat Sir Stanley "Tommy" Tomlinson was a guest of honour at the dinner and, to the consternation of his hosts, he spent most of the evening in conversation with the pretty young third secretary.

Sir Stanley and Lady Nancy were married in 1959 and their first assignment as a married couple was to the British sector of Berlin where Sir Stanley was deputy to the General Officer Commanding the British garrison.

They became close friends with the then mayor of West Berlin, Willi Brandt, later to become Chancellor of West Germany.

As consul-general in New York, Sir Stanley and Lady Tomlinson played host to visiting royalty during the Swinging Sixties when all things English, especially the Beatles, were all the rage.

The couple's happiest posting was to the British High Commission in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). It was in this post that Sir Stanley received his knighthood in 1967.

The couple retired to the family home in the centre of Devizes, bought by Lady Tomlinson's family before the war.

Sir Stanley died after a brief illness in 1994 at the age of 82.

Lady Tomlinson continued her community involvement in Devizes and was a member of many organisations and a leading light in the local branch of the University of the Third Age (U3A).

Her funeral takes place tomorrow at 3pm at St John's Church, Devizes. Donations to Dorothy House Hospice Care.