Benalla’s platinum couple celebrate 70 years of marriage

“We celebrated at our daughter Heather’s home at Mount Martha,” Kath said.

“We had 24 there, including our three sons David, Bruce and Neville, six grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

“We went to a lovely restaurant in Frankston, then back to Heather’s for coffee and cake.

“They live right on the water, so it was lovely.”

The couple had been married 70 years earlier at the Rowan St Methodist Church in Wangaratta.

“Then we toured to Canberra and Sydney for the honeymoon,” Alan said.

“We took our little Morris Oxford, which was a wonderful car.”

Kath interjected to mention that, having not travelled far at that stage of her life, she would have considered visiting Albury a big trip.

Alan and Kath had met four years earlier but almost lost contact.

“Alan played in the dance band at Tungamah,” she said.

“He spotted an unknown girl, me, and decided I was the girl for him.”

The two had a dance that night, but after going their separate ways, Alan realised he didn’t know where she was from and had forgotten her name.

Luckily, Kath enjoyed going to dances across the region, and the two would cross paths again when Alan’s band played in a little town called Wilby.

Alan made a point of remembering her name this time, and their relationship blossomed from there.

Kath said she recalled when Alan took her out for dinner for the first time.

“You never went out for a meal in those days,” she said.

“We ordered baked beans on toast, and that was our first meal together, and it cost four and sixpence, which was about 45 cents each.”

Alan offered his advice on the secret to 70 happy years of marriage.

“Love and fidelity,” Alan said.

“Those are the two most important things.”

Kath said her advice was to always pull together.