Neville and Florence McPherson at home in Corowa, enjoying the simple pleasure of each other’s company.
Photo by
Ian Johnson
Neville and Florence McPherson celebrated 69 years of marriage last month, proving that a little KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) goes a long way to standing the test of time.
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They first met in the mid-1950s after Neville moved suburbs in Melbourne and found himself commuting on the same train as the young office girl at his work.
One thing led to another, and they married in Kensington on August 17, 1957.
Neville said keeping things simple was their secret to a long-lasting and happy marriage.
“The trick is to just take it one day at a time,” he said.
“We’ve always kept things pretty simple; we’re just happy to wake up in the morning next to each other.”
Neville and Florence on their wedding day in 1957.
Neville and Florence have kept themselves busy with family over the years, and with five children, eight grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren, that has been easy.
They’ve watched them grow and achieve great things scholastically since their retirement almost 30 years ago, and Neville said it’s one of the things they’re most proud of.
“We both left school at fourth form, so to have to have all those university degrees amongst our offering was very special,” Neville said.
He retired at 63, they bought a caravan and started travelling around Australia, from the tip of Cape York to the vastness of the Western Australian coast.
Neville said if they could have their time again, they would have travelled more because they enjoyed it so much, but as they approach their 70th anniversary next year, they’re very content with their lives.
“We've travelled all over Australia, but for some reason, Townsville just appealed to me above all others,” he said.
“The Strand of Townsville is something else.
“We’re happy to do a bit of gardening now; we’re too old to travel.
“I’m happy staying home and being a stick in the mud, but Florence gets out and does all sorts of things.
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