This was the lead in the Illawarra Mercury editorial published on June 20, 1873, on the generally frowned-upon practice of giving newlyweds a noisy welcome home - often late at night.

The thrust of the editorial was an incident at Bathurst when an elderly man, Dennis Murphy shot at those who came to tin-kettle his recently married daughter and son-in-law, and one man was wounded.

There was a local incident in 1899 when five tin-kettlers were arrested on the road between Berry and Broughton Vale.

Charged with "riotous behaviour", they escaped on a technicality when it took 32 days to be brought before Berry Police Court.

Such matters were required to be dealt with inside one month of the alleged offence!

Over the years the tin-kettling practice was refined to become more of a surprise social event for recently married couples, rather than one that attracted the attention of the law.

Two such instances are documented from the farming locality of Meroo Meadow.

The first was in 1938 for Mick Lymbery and his bride who had settled in for a quiet evening together.

Some 50 friends braved the wet night and they roused the young couple by banging tin cans and sounding cow bells.

They were all invited in for what was described as "an evening of fun and frolic".

Roy Drury acted as master of ceremonies, there were several soloists including Alan Tetley who yodelled for the gathering, and then provided music for dancing as furniture was shifted and the revellers spilled out onto the verandahs.

Cards were played by the older folk, and a warm welcome was extended to Mrs Lymbery, a newcomer to the district who had the chance to meet some of her husband's local friends.

A decade later Albert and Voni Muller were similarly honoured, when a gathering "assembled inside the gate, and then 'moved' on the house, with horns blowing and tins rattling".

After this rousing reception, all went to the nearby public hall for an evening of games, competitions and dancing.

Schoolmaster Cliff Debenham took the chair, and he was the first of many speakers.

In welcoming Voni to the district, Clive Morschel assured her she would find Meroo Meadow far nicer than Far Meadow, where she had grown up.

A presentation was made to the young couple, supper was enjoyed, and such was the mood, no-one seemed interested in going home.