Don Overall, centre, celebrates his 80th birthday. Picture: PAUL CARRACHER
Horsham's last horse and cart milkman, Don Overall, celebrated his 80th birthday on Saturday.
Mr Overall's wife Riona, friends and family joined him to mark the occasion in Horsham's Holy Trinity Lutheran Church Hall.
Mrs Overall said her husband turned 80 on January 4, but because their daughter was overseas, they waited until she returned to have the party.
"The party just happened to fall on Australia Day, but it was good because of the long weekend," she said.
"Friends and relatives came from Kyabram, Melbourne and Geelong from all over Victoria really.
"It was a lovely reunion."
Mr Overall said he had a terrific birthday party.
"I just sat back and let everyone else do all the worrying," he said.
Mr Overall said he was pleased to turn 80.
"I've had a pretty good run. I didn't think I'd make it this far.
"It was nice to catch up with old friends and have a yarn about how they are getting on.
"We are all talking about knee and hip operations now though," he said.
Mrs Overall said the couple's son Daryl and his wife Ruth from Nhill catered for the lunch.
"The tables were beautifully decorated in an Australia Day theme," she said.
"We expected 160 people and I think we had about 150 people in the end."
Mrs Overall said they also had help from Ethel and John Sanders and the Lutheran Ladies
Guild.
Mr Overall said he worked at Horsham Modern Diary for about 26 years.
"A lot of good things happened there over the years," he said.
"The funniest thing I can remember was when a child jumped up onto the milk cart.
"I chased him off but then realised he had no shoes or socks on.
"When he jumped down, he landed in a big patch of bindii.
"When I came back around the corner, he was still pulling the prickles out of his backside."