Seventy years ago, Len and Barbara Magee entered into a union that has well and truly stood the test of time.
It was in 1952 at the weekly Friday night dance in Swan Hill that Len first laid eyes on Barbara, and from the moment he saw her, he knew she was the one.
The pair were married on August 7, 1954, in Swan Hill, and have remained inseparable ever since, celebrating their platinum wedding anniversary this year.
After being married in Swan Hill, the couple moved to Cobram in the early 1960s, where they owned and operated a dairy farm in Cobram East for about 14 years, before building the Burntwood Motel, which they managed and ran together for four years.
The motel is still standing, now recognisable as the Colonial Motor Inn.
Len has also worked in real estate, employed by local agent Kevin Crow, while Barbara put her seamstress abilities to good use, making many garments for local ladies, including a number of wedding dresses.
The Cobram region has greatly benefited from the couple’s community work, with Len heavily involved in work with the Lions and Rotary clubs for many years, as well as other charities, while Barbara’s tenure as president of the Cobram Hospital Ladies Auxiliary was recognised with her being named Cobram Citizen of the Year.
Enthusiastic green thumbs, the pair’s passion for the garden has seen them surround the numerous new homes they have built with lush gardens and trees, while their charitable spirit has seen them open many of said homes to the public to raise money for the community.
Seven decades of marriage has also gifted Len and Barbara a beautiful family, consisting of three children, Gary, Wayne and Deborah, four grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
While life has slowed down now for the Magees, they remain active, with Barbara tending to their garden, while Len still enjoys an end of lawn bowls, and they still still live in their own home, caring for one another.