Bob and Helen Jackman have celebrated their blue sapphire wedding anniversary after 65 years of marriage. 

Mrs Jackman said she met her husband at a party at his house in Dimboola. 

“I had just finished school and I was invited to a party at Bob’s home at the edge of Dimboola and I saw him sitting at the dining room table having a smoke,” she said. 

“I thought he wasn’t the bad looking sort.

“Those days you would play these silly games of spin the bottle, it points to you and he takes you outside and kisses you and that’s what happened. 

“He asked me straight away if he could take me to the pictures. I said I had to ask my mother first.” 

From there the rest was history and the couple were married at St Andrew’s Cathedral in Ballarat on March 14, 1953. 

Mrs Jackman said they didn’t have a big celebration for their wedding anniversary because Mr Jackman was turning 90 at the end of the month. 

Mrs Jackman will turn 87 two weeks later. 

“We will do it all then,” she said. 

Mr and Mrs Jackman have moved around a lot in their lives.

Mr Jackman was born in Edenhope, went to school in Dimboola, went to the wool school in Geelong and bought a property on Dadswells Bridge in 1950. 

Mrs Jackman grew up in Ararat, lived in Sunshine, Richmond, Dimboola and Horsham before moving to Ballarat with her mother. 

The couple had four children, Peter, Bruce and Roger Jackman and Margaret Tucker. Mrs Jackman said they have 12 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. 

Mr Jackman said a key to their long, healthy relationship was the fact that they got along so well. 

He said it was good to see his children growing up over the years. 

“They are all scattered now, one is in Western Australia, on in Queensland, one on the farm at Dadswells Bridge and another in Ballarat,” he said. 

Mr Jackman said he had so many fond memories with his wife over the years.