Teenage sweethearts celebrate 68 years of adventure

On Sunday, July 14, they will celebrate 68 years of marriage and the life they have built around adventures and companionship to one another.

Joy was born on December 27, 1936, in Nagambie, and had three brothers.

Les was born on May 8, 1935, in Tatura, the fifth of eight children.

The pair attended Haslem Street Primary School one year apart, but their paths only crossed when they met at a square dance at Kyabram Town Hall in 1952, when Joy was 16 and Les was 17.

The two hit it off and began dating, enjoying drive-in movies and other modest outings.

“There was no hanky-panky back in those days before getting married,” Les said.

Les was called for three months of national service training shortly after they began dating and was on standby for three years during the Vietnam War.

Then after three years of dating, on Joy’s 19th birthday, Les gave her the best present a girl could ask for: a ring.

“He didn’t get down on one knee, I’ll tell you that,” Joy said.

“I probably was. I could actually get down on one knee back then,” Les said.

They married on a rainy day at St Augustine’s church on July 15, 1956, and embarked on a two-week travelling adventure for their honeymoon.

They said it was in the middle of the floods, and they did not want to go to Melbourne for their honeymoon, so they drove to Seymour in Les’ Ford Prefect and spent their first night in the Railway Hotel.

They then traversed flooded roads, following a charter bus to Bendigo before heading back to Kyabram.

Their unique honeymoon set the tone for the rest of their lives — a shared experience of travel, adventure and partnership.

In their 68 years together, they spent 23 years exploring Australia in their beloved caravan.

Their caravan, their closest companion besides each other, took them all over Australia. They said these trips created the best memories of their lives.

“We just went everywhere back then. We couldn’t get enough,” Les said.

“There’s no place else like Australia. We went across the Nullarbor Plain, and there’s nothing there, but absolutely everything there changes all the time.

“And back in those days, all the roads were unsealed; you would be travelling on dirt roads for hundreds of kilometres at a time.”

“It was a real adventure,” Joy said.

They didn't limit their adventures to Australia; Les and Joy also travelled to England and across New Zealand.

But no matter where they went, they always called Kyabram home.

After they were married, they built a house in Andrew Crt, where they raised their three children: Deb, Carol and Christopher.

Since 2010, the couple have been living in a cozy two-bedroom unit in Warramunda, where they continue to follow their cherished daily routine.

“We wake up in the morning, say our morning greetings, have a bit of a cuddle and a kiss, and start with our maintenance,” Joy said.

“When we get up, we put the teeth in and we were all set for the day,” Les said.

Les and Joy’s love for each other remains as strong as ever, which they attribute to open communication.

“When we get in a tiff, you know there’s discussions, but I don’t think we’ve ever had any big arguments,” Les said.

“Life’s too short for arguments; there are only discussions,” Joy said.

“Besides, we all know who’s right.”

Les slyly gestured to Joy and we all laughed out loud.

That laughter, I expect, will continue long into the future.

As for the present day, the couple will celebrate their 68-year anniversary on Sunday, July 14 by going to the Kyabram Club for lunch.

On behalf of the Free Press, congratulations to Joy and Les Jones.