Georgia Carr and Susan McFarlane fell in love in the early '70s, when homosexuality was still illegal in their native Australia. Now, the couple is planning on getting married more than 40 years after they met.

Carr, 64, and McFarlane, 66, first shared a kiss in 1974, while both were in their early 20s. At the time, neither had heard the word "lesbian," let alone considered it could represented who they were.

"I didn't know the word 'lesbian," McFarlane told The Daily Mail. "School hadn't prepared me for this and it wasn't reflected in the television or film at the time."

The two fell in love but soon broke up because Carr wanted a baby, something beyond the reach of gay couples at the time. They reunited several months later.

"I thought to myself, Why would I give up the greatest love in the world for something that may not give me happiness?" Carr said. She added that in the beginning, "We were fumbling in the dark in more ways than one."

Their families were supportive, and after a decade of dating, they got unofficially "married," committing their lives to each other. Today, Carr and McFarlane work side-by-side as holistic life coaches and counselors.

Last week, Australians overwhelmingly voted in favor of same-sex marriage in a non-binding national survey. Should parliament pass equal marriage legislation in time, the two hope to get married on for a January 6, 2018, their 44th anniversary.