Daughter of Victorian Lt Col Donald Murray Robertson Coghill and the South Australian Gertrude Mary (Roediger). The family moved from Box Hill, Vic, to SA when Marie was about 3, and D Murray Coghill was Principal of Dryburgh House School at St Peters in 1909 at the time when it was recognized for a few years by the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church as the Presbyterian Ladies' College of SA.
His wife, originally Vice-Principal, became Principal when Murray Coghill left to take up another position. He taught at Adelaide and Unley High Schools before joining the army in 1915. While he was serving overseas, the family apparently lived at Largs Bay. After the war they moved to Woodville, where Murray Coghill was headmaster of Woodville High.
Marie was educated and studied music in Adelaide, and played in a theatre orchestra. In 1927 she was teaching violin at Allan's Teaching Studio, Rundle St. She went on stage and toured with Seymour Hicks, experiencing the ups and downs of theatre life. On 12 Dec 1932 she married Peter Bornstein, chief teacher of Violin and leader of the String Quartet at the Elder Conservatorium. By 1936 they were living in England.
