Margaret Love spent years researching the prefabricated cottage, its origins and the history of the property, Narrambla, where it was located and where Patterson was born in 1864.

She argued the building was the original homestead on the estate, belonging to Patterson's relatives.

The 19th century cottage was destined for demolition to make way for housing developments in 2012.

Her research efforts, using records from the Orange Lands Office, combined with family history prevented the levelling of the ramshackle timber house.

A house which was Mrs Love's childhood family home on what became the Farrell orchard property 'Emmaville' after the subdivision of Narrambla.

After months of lengthy, and at times heated, community debate the house was relocated to the Orange Botanic Gardens precinct where Orange Rotary Club, City Council and community volunteers restored the cottage, believed to be one of the last of the Narrambla farm buildings and now an Orange tourist attraction.

Mrs Love, who was born Margaret Farrell in 1929 was the daughter of orchardist and dairyman Robert Farrell.

Mr Farrell was a prominent local footballer and his wife Helen and the sister for former deputy Mayor of Orange, Bob Farrell and local boxer Jim Farrell who both ran the Emmaville property.

She moved to Sydney in the 1950s after joining the public service and honed her campaigning skills fighting discrimination and advocating for better employment and work conditions for women.

She also worked in the Housing Commission, Premiers Department, Housing Department, Ethnic Affairs and the NSW Ombudsman's department.

Mrs Love met her husband Bruce on the golf links at Massey Park, in Concord, where they lived for the next 45 years, but maintained strong links to the Orange community.

Her research into the history of the cottage and her campaign to save it from demolition, along with her work in social justice and with Sydney's homeless and Indigenous groups and her tenacious efforts on the golf links dominated her life after retirement.

Despite strong local scepticism that featured in the pages of the Central Western Daily from some local residents in the lead up to its relocation in 2013 she remained convinced her childhood home deserved a place in Banjo Patterson's story, telling Restoration Australia in 2015 that nothing had shifted her views in her research.

"I am absolutely positive that old house was the homestead in which Banjo Patterson was born," Mrs Love said at the time.

Orange is one historic building richer as a result of her conviction.

Margaret Love is survived by her husband Bruce. She was 90 years old.

Restoration Australia is now screened on Netflix and Emmaville Cottage is open to the public daily from 9am to 4pm.

This obituary was submitted by KEIREN McLEONARD, a former resident at Narrambla and a member of the Farrell family.