Horsham resident Val Brown says sharing has been the key to the success of her marriage to Tom Brown as the couple celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary on Thursday.
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Tom Brown was born in Horsham to butcher Croydon Brown and his wife Myrtle, while Val was born in Geelong to Jack and Mona Allan, who later moved to Rainbow, Dooen and then finally Horsham.
Mrs Brown said she used to ride her bicycle to work every day, past the butcher where Tom worked for his father.
"Every day I'd see this chap out the front," she said. "I'd get a look at him and he'd look over at me. We got to sort of see each other that way."
Mrs Brown said it didn't go any further until her parents hosted an event to raise money to build the Horsham War Memorial Swimming Pool.
"We (courted) for just on five years," she said. "It took us all that time to save up our money (for a deposit to buy a block of land).
"That was the most exciting day, the day we went to the bank and put our money in for our payment for a deposit."
Mrs Brown said she and Tom built a house together on Tucker Street in Horsham. They later lived in Quantong for a number of years before returning to Horsham, where Mrs Brown said they had many lifelong friends.
The prominent pair has been actively involved in sport and volunteering and has three children: Ross, Lee and Dallas; and seven grandchildren.
"We've always had good love for each other, we have our arguments," Mrs Brown said, "But we discuss things, we talk about things and everything we've ever done has been shared.
"Our money has always been shared and anything we've ever done we've always talked about it and made a joint decision."
Mrs Brown shared her advice for couples hoping to keep their love alive for the long run.
"Discuss everything, talk everything out and be happy with the decisions," she said.
"Don't be jealous, don't be greedy and be kind to each other."
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Eliza Berlage
Eliza Berlage made the move to Horsham to report for the Wimmera Mail-Times in October 2019. Originally from Sydney, she has a sociology background and spent two years working in the press gallery in Canberra.
Eliza Berlage made the move to Horsham to report for the Wimmera Mail-Times in October 2019. Originally from Sydney, she has a sociology background and spent two years working in the press gallery in Canberra.
