The friends who brought them together broke up, but for Gwen, now 85, and Des, 87, it was a fateful meeting, one that led to a marriage that has lasted 66 years.

“I only had one girl, and that was her,” Des said.

“Well… you didn’t have someone else to compare me with,” Gwen adds, laughing.

Gwen said their relationship started as a friendship that blossomed into something more, although Des’ politeness and the fact he did not drink or smoke scored him some points with her.

“You just know,” Gwen said when asked how she knew Des was the right person for her.

The couple were together for a few years before marrying on March 24, 1951 in Drouin, in Gippsland, where they had grown up, with Gwen wearing a dress she had made herself.

Gwen and Des have raised five children, four daughters and a son, who have gone on to give them 14 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren.

It was in the early 1960s that the family moved to Bendigo to open a mixed business, or general store, in Flora Hill.

Aside from their wedding day, the arrival of their first child stands out as one of their favourite memories of their time together.

When asked what qualities of Gwen’s he appreciated most, Des said it was her “good housekeeping”, a response that was met with laughter from his wife.

Their partnership has stood the test of time, Gwen believes, because they have worked for their marriage together.

“You grow with one another,” she said.

She said couples should have understanding for one another and not rush into marriage, instead focusing on getting to know one another before making the commitment.

Their eldest child, Sandra Collins, said her parents had taught her that marriage was about working through the ups and the downs.

“And here they are at 66 years, it’s amazing,” she said.