Frequent visitors to Echuca, Lorna and Allan Banfield, are celebrating 79 years of marriage.
Photo by
Lua Ikenasio
With 57 trips up their sleeve in 11 years, Echuca-Moama frequent visitors Lorna and Allan Banfield are celebrating a big milestone: 79 years of marriage.
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After meeting in 1945 while working at the South Geelong Woollen Mill, they were married a year later on March 7, 1946.
They settled in Barwon Heads, on the Bellarine Peninsula, where they remained for the first 40 years of their marriage.
When asked what the secret to 79 years of marriage is, Mr Banfield shared some simple advice.
“No smoking, no alcohol and plenty of wife,” he said.
The couple has lived through many major events, including the Barwon Heads floods in June 1952.
At the time, Mrs Banfield was carrying her third child and the couple had two sons aged four and six.
Mrs Banfield said it was an especially tough time as nobody would take them in during the floods because her sons were sick.
“Nobody would take us in because the children had chicken pox. Finally, the guest house finally took us in overnight,” she said.
“I had a pain in my stomach and thought I was having a miscarriage ... amazing all the things you remember when you think back.”
For six weeks they had to live with Mr Banfield’s mother while they waited for the floodwaters to recede and when they were finally able to return to Barwon Heads, they lived in rubber boots and stilts for three months until the water in their yard was pumped out in November.
In December 1952, with their home still under repair, Mrs Banfield gave birth to their only daughter.
The family eventually managed to amend their home and had two more children in the following years.
Lorna and Allan Banfield standing in front of their blood lilies that bloom every year for their anniversary. Photo: Supplied.
Despite living in Geelong, the Banfields have become familiar faces in Echuca-Moama over the years.
Their daughter Patricia Mckerlie accompanies them each time and said they enjoyed how friendly everyone was.
“This is the 11th year that I’ve brought them up here,” she said.
“We go out to eat and they get to play bingo and that’s how we’ve got to know everybody. Everybody at the bingo here is just so lovely, they’re so nice to Mum and Dad.”
Mrs Banfield also had high praise for Moama Bowling Club.
“We’ve met some nice people ... especially at the bowling club. It’s the best place we’ve ever been to,” she said.
The Banfields visited Echuca-Moama just last week and enjoyed visiting the Echuca Hotel, Moama Bowling Club and The Port Ice-Creamery.
They will be celebrating their 79th anniversary in Geelong with their children, 10 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.
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