Callala Bay residents Bob and Joan Cannon have celebrated 60 years of marriage with a letter from the Queen.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Married on January 3 1959, the couple lived in Padstow for 40 years before making the sea change to Callala Bay 22 years ago.
Married when Joan was 20 and Bob was 21, the couple have three children and many grandchildren of their own, but were also parents to a number of foster children.
We couldnt tell you how many welfare kids weve had, Mr Cannon said, citing somewhere between 50 and 100 children.
Mr Cannon said the police would sometimes call them in the middle of the night to look after children when they needed emergency accommodation.
Mrs Cannon said they resigned as foster care parents when they moved to Callala Bay to live a quieter life.
She said caring for children helped her show love for her husband and to her own children, a value she said helped her in her marriage.
Youve got to forgive. You cant fight with one another for too long, she said. You have your say and then get over it.
Mr Cannon said it was important to talk it out and be reasonable.
You dont always have to be right, he said.
The couple said religion made a big difference in the family and members of the community church in Callala Bay made them feel welcome when they moved.
The couple bought their double-garage house and land for $160,000 and said there was only one shop in the town and no sewerage at the time.
They said people eat more fast food nowadays, and buy bread and groceries more regularly than they used to.
The kids all grew up on meat and vegetables. We hardly ever had a sick child, Mrs Cannon said.
Mr Cannon, who was a baker for 15 years, said bakeries had changed since he was in the industry.
It all changed when the big companies like Buttercup first started, he said.
His bakery in Burwood was bought out by the company before he was offered a job in the hardware and engineering section.
On their diamond anniversary, the couple received certificates of congratulations from Queen Elizabeth II, Governor General Sir Peter Cosgrove, Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Federal Member for Gilmore Ann Sudmalis MP.