An ageless and timeless Navarre couple have celebrated a truly remarkable milestone, chalking up 70 years of marriage.
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On November 17 in 1951 Laurie and Norma Hannett began their marriage, and 70 years later the couple are still going side by side.
The Hannetts are a famous couple in Navarre and surrounds with Mr Hannett celebrating his 100th birthday on October 21, 2020, while Mrs Hannett is preparing for her 90th birthday on December 21, 2021.
But age is proving no barrier for this couple, who has lived and loved their rural life.
THE BEGINNING
"He always said when he came out of the army, all the good girls were gone and so he had to grab me," Mrs Hannett laughed.
Mrs Hannett first came to Navarre after growing up in the Mallee, before a severe drought forced her family to move.
Prior to their marriage, Mrs Hannett worked at the region's shearing sheds, providing food and refreshments for the workers on the tools.
The pair can't remember the first time they meet each other, it was a long time ago, but both know it was after Mr Hannett had returned from his service in WWII and it was when they were both working at a shearing shed.
They began seeing each other regularly and spent a few years getting to know each other before Mr and Mrs Hannett became engaged.
Mrs Hannett said their 11 year age gap raised some questions at the time, but she herself had no doubts.
"Lots of people worried and said men die before women do," she said.
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"They said 'you'll have years on your own Norma', but I haven't had any years on my own.
"They were wrong and I always used to say 'you don't know how long you'll live for'."
After saving up enough money from several shearing contracts, Mrs Hannett selected the ring she wanted, picking an option well under budget.
THE WEDDING AND RAISING A FAMILY
The pair's family and friends gathered at the Navarre church for their wedding ceremony with the reception held at the town hall.
"Mum said I was allowed to invite 100 people, because the caterers didn't have the crockery for any more," Mrs Hannett said.
"Mum would've liked to have had a couple more people there, but we had 86 guests in the end."
After the wedding the couple left for their honeymoon, which involved a trip around much of western Victoria including nights in Ararat, Geelong, Melbourne, the Great Ocean Road and Mount Gambier.
After the honeymoon, the Hannetts began setting up their lives in the Wimmera, purchasing a farm on McSparron Road, near Greens Creek.
But after a few years, their first child and daughter, Sandra, was born.
There was no school near the McSparron Road property and so the couple made the decision to move into the Navarre township.
Mr Hannett and his brother cut down the timber for the home from a nearby timber yard before it was taken away to Avoca to be cut and shaped.
After a six month build, the home was built with three chimneys and a woodfire stove as part of the property because there was no power in the Navarre township until 1964.
"We walked straight in and it felt like home pretty quick," Mrs Hannett said.
"The kids loved the chimneys.
"They used to say there was one chimney for Gary, one for Sandra and one for Mum and Dad for Santa to come down at Christmas."
This house would remain the Hannetts home to this day, with Norma and Laurie still there around 63 years later.
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"Navarre suited us because the kids could run over to football, netball, cricket and tennis training," Mrs Hannett said.
"If anyone was sick you always made them something and we were always involved with the football and sport.
"We used to give the kids tea on a Thursday night and all those kids knew me and my sister.
"That was my life, knowing all those kids and watching them grow up."
The Hannetts continued their lives in Navarre with their two children growing up and setting off for their own adventures.
MARRIAGE
70 years later they are the proud grandparents and great grandparents to Tessa, Gena and Tom, Talia, Rob, Zana, Jon, Greta, Theodore, Clova and Ceda.
Spending 70 years married leaves a lot of time to be spent together and for the Hannetts, family holidays around Australia, watching sport together and dancing have been some of their most treasured pastimes.
"I never got a number one for dancing," Mr Hannett said.
"I had two brothers who were really good, but I couldn't."
"We are both not much good at dancing, but I used to like to go down and see everybody and socialise when they would hold a dance after the football games."
The past two years have been a challenge for the Hannetts with one side of their family living in South Australia, which has largely been closed off to Victoria due to COVID-19.
And while they haven't seen that part of their family for some time, they are looking forward to the day when all of their family can return home to Navarre again.
For the Hannetts their message for creating a happy family is simple.
"There's no secret," they said.
"You have got to help each other whenever you can.
"If you're both working then you have both got to hop in and do it.
"Life is completely different now, but your attitude has to stay the same."
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