Search
“Do everything together.” It’s simple advice, but for David and Joan, it’s been the secret to 70 years of love.
Their story began in Ballarat when David was 18, working as an usher at Her Majesty’s Theatre. Joan, 17, would visit with her girlfriend. “I just saw her in the streets, thought she looked a decent blonde,” David recalls with a smile. “I used to give them good seats at the theatre. Afterwards they’d miss the tram, so I’d take them home in my car.”
They got engaged a year later and married the next, embracing life side by side ever since.
David and Joan have shared a lifetime of adventures together. They played golf at Buninyong Golf Club, travelled Australia in a caravan for 17 years, lived by the beach, took their four sons skiing for over 20 years, and were lap swimmers together.
“We’ve had such an active life,” David says. That shared lifestyle created a close-knit family — four sons, seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren who remain devoted to them.
Their love story continues today at mecwacare Wahroonga in Canadian, Ballarat. David enjoys daily pool games with friends, while Joan loves participating in the garden group and tending to her beloved garden. Family remains close, with regular calls and visits from children and grandchildren.
Last November, they celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary at mecwacare Wahroonga. When David quietly mentioned that Joan had always hoped to enjoy a lobster salad, the team surprised them with fresh local lobster and a beautiful cake, surrounded by family, friends and familiar faces.
When asked what advice they would give younger generations about enduring love, their answer is immediate and in unison. “Do everything together,” David says. Joan nods in agreement, “That brought us closer. And we still do everything together.”
David and Joan’s story shows what’s possible when people are supported to age in the community they know and love, with care that allows them to maintain the relationships, routines and joys that define their lives.
