FOR ONE Nhill couple, the secret to the happy marriage is having shared interests.
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Max and Peg Davey, nee Dalitz, celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary on Wednesday.
The couple’s daughter Helen McIntyre said her parents always had a lot in common.
They were both born in Nhill in 1925 and knew each other growing up.
Max served in the Second World War as a pilot in the air force.
He enlisted when he was 18 years old.
“He was discharged in August in 1946 and they married in the following March,” Mrs McIntyre said.
“I’m not sure when they got engaged, or if they were together before he went to the war.
“But I’ve seen photos of them together when he was wearing his uniform, so he must have been interested in her.”
The pair were married on March 15, 1947.
Mrs McIntyre said the secret to her parents’ successful marriage was shared hobbies.
“They were both very good sportspeople,” she said.
“They played tennis, golf and bowls well into their 40s and 50s.
“They were still playing bowls in there 70s.”
Mrs McIntyre said her mum loved playing the piano and often performed in eisteddfods.
“Later on, they bought a caravan and they would always go on trips together,” she said.
“Dad would take have the fishing rod and he would brag about how much fish he caught.”
Mr and Mrs Davey have three children – Geoffrey, Helen and Michael.
They have seven grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren, with one more on the way.
They now live in Avonlea Aged Care Hostels in Nhill.
To celebrate their 70th anniversary, the family had an afternoon tea and cake on Wednesday.
“Staff at Avonlea also had a mock wedding for them, which was very funny,” Mrs McIntyre said.
“When they were married, they had a guard of honour with tennis racquet, so we re-created that.”
The couple also had an earlier celebration last month when Member for Mallee Andrew Broad visited them.
They have received letters of congratulations from Mr Broad, Queen Elizabeth and Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.
Mrs McIntyre said her parents were still enjoying life.
“Mum loves playing cards and doing crosswords,” she said.
Mrs McIntyre said 70th wedding anniversaries were quite rare.
“We struggled to find a card for it,” she said.
“It’s not often someone has two parents still going in their 90s.”