Tales of Sid and Linda Mawbey's wedding day came flooding back when the couple recently celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary.
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Family and friends gathered at Goulburn's Girl Guide Hall at Victoria Park on May 25 to mark the occasion.
Sid and Linda met in Wollongong in the early 1960s. Sid was from Dubbo, and had a good job at the steelworks. Linda was from Lithgow, then Warilla, and was working in a health fund office at the time.
On May 23, 1964, the couple was married at Albion Park's Presbyterian church.
"Although Sid only lived a block away from the church, he was late, and the minister had to walk around to give him the hurry up," a family member said.
"Sid's lateness required Linda's father to drive the bride up to Macquarie pass and back, to make sure everything was synchronised. This tardiness on Sid's behalf has not been forgotten."
After settling in Albion Park, Sid and Linda started a family. Stuart, Bronwyn, Christopher and Naomi were born over ensuing years. The family moved to Kiama, and after Sid retired from the steelworks, he and Linda bought a small farm at Braidwood in the early 1990s and became rural post contractors in the Tallaganda district.
They finally fully retired about 14 years ago to a warm, comfortable home in Goulburn, a welcoming city they appreciate, that has every facility available. Sid and Linda's children have primarily settled in the city and district as well.
A family member said their parents had never had an argument.
"They've just had passionate verbal differences of opinion," he said.
Today they have 10 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.
The couple received letters of congratulation from the King, the Governor General, the NSW Governor, the Prime Minister, the Speaker of the house, the NSW Premier and local state and federal MPs.
"They absolutely treasured these but the highlight of the day was being with beautiful family and friends," the family spokesman said.
