Cold Chisel lead singer Jimmy Barnes first laid eyes on his now-wife Jane in 1979 at a student party.
Unbeknownst to them both, two years later the pair would be married and later welcome four children.
Jane is a woman of many talents, but the responsibility of raising her children to the best degree alongside her husband is of the utmost importance to her.
WHO IS JANE BARNES?
Jane Barnes, 65, was originally born in Bangkok and spent the first five years of her life there.
After the divorce of her parents, she spent her childhood travelling the world – living in Italy, Russia, New Guinea, Kiribati, Malta and Malaysia. In travelling from country to country, Jane found that her true passion was maths.
In an interview with The Australian Women’s Weekly in 2021, Jane said “The common language for me was maths. That was my forte because that doesn’t change between countries.”
WHEN DID JANE MEET JIMMY BARNES?
When the family eventually moved to Australia, Jane was in her final year of a patchwork degree in Canberra, where she met Jimmy Barnes.
Jane was 21 years old and was playing the guitar which became one of her favourite hobbies, when Jimmy arrived at a student party and they hit it off.
The pair moved in together in Paddington and were married in May 1981 and later welcomed four children.
On Instagram, the pair often share special moments from their relationship with Jimmy posting a gushing message in January 2024 for Jane’s birthday.
“Happy birthday to my @jane13barnes. I love you more each day. I know I am blessed because I’m spending this life with you. You are so full of life and love and joy and I hope you have the best birthday ever.”
It’s clear that the pair are more in love than ever, with Jane taking up guitar during COVID to play with Jimmy, and a morning swimming ritual being put in place for the couple to enjoy.
DOES JANE BARNES HAVE CHILDREN?
Just over a year after their wedding, in 1982, the pair welcomed their first child together, Mahalia.
In 1984, the pair welcomed their second daughter, Eliza-Jane (EJ). Two years later they had their first son together, Jackie and in 1989 they had their last child, Elly-May Barnes.
In the same Australian Women’s Weekly interview, when asked about being a mother, Jane spoke with admiration for her children, “I did know that I loved having children, I loved being a mother. For me, having children was happiness.”
“Sometimes my kids will say, ‘Mum, you’ve never worked a day in your life,’ and I’m like, ‘Well, actually, this is a job,'” she continued.
“I haven’t had a career, but I’m happy when I fill in a form that asks me for my occupation and I say ‘wife and mother’ and now ‘grandmother’. I think that’s one of the most important jobs in the world – if not the most important – to bring up good humans. It’s my passion. That’s who I am.”
