For Stawell couple Ron and Wendy Maddocks, they have created many, many memories together with 2021 the year in which they got to celebrate their 65th wedding anniversary.

Mr Maddocks has been a Stawell person for his entire life, born and raised in the area.

But Mrs Maddocks first moved the the region during her teenage years, when her family moved from Melbourne to Stawell after her father was transferred for a new job.

And that's where their lifelong relationship began.

Mr Maddock's said the pair got to know each other as teenagers as they worked right beside each other.

"The families knew one and another and they also worked closely together," he said.

"My father had a business in town and Wendy's family had a business practically next door to it.

"It was just one of those things."

Mrs Maddocks said she and Ron first started dating when they were 18, before the pair were married four years later in 1956.

"We were 18 when we first started going out and we were married at 22," she said.

"Ron was in the army at 18 just for three months and two weeks for the next three years.

"In the meantime, Ron played football and cricket and I played tennis and badminton.

"We always used to go to the movies every Saturday night.

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"The movies were at the town hall and it was packed.

"You had to book your seat it was so busy."

After a loving and caring courtship the pair became engaged after a trip to the renowned jewellers, Dunklings, in Bourke Street, Melbourne.

The couple were engaged in June, 1955 and married the next May, in 1956.

Around 100 people packed into the Stawell Uniting Church, (or St Matthews Presbyterian as it was in 1956) to witness the union.

The crowd then headed down Scallan Street to the reception which was hosted at the Stawell RSL.

65 years on, the pair remember the day fondly.

"It was hard to get anywhere to have a reception in those days and weddings at churches with guests and receptions were a dime a dozen in those days," Mrs Maddocks said.

"It was a great day and was a little bit rainy.

"It was May 12 and a bit misty and cool."

"It was nerve wracking," Mr Maddocks remembers.

"You are in front of people, and you have to make a speech somewhere.

"But anyway, we got through it. After the wedding the work started."

But the work didn't start straight away, with the couple heading down to Healesville on the train to share in their honeymoon.

"It was a big deal. We couldn't drive down there because we didn't have a car," Mrs Maddocks said.

"We couldn't afford to have a car and house, so we had to pick the house.

"It was lovely, and we hadn't been up and around there. Even though I'd lived in Melbourne."

After the honeymoon the rhythm of working and family life in Stawell began, with the pair working in and running several key businesses throughout town.

Mr Maddocks spent his time working with his father in the grocery shop for 19 years and then he went and became a public servant and worked at the Pleasant Creek site as a storekeeper for 25 years.

Mrs Maddocks said she worked in the family business until they sold it six weeks before she was married.

After she was married, she went to work at the office at Seppelt's in Great Western and was there for two years before the birth of their son, Steve.

Mrs Maddocks returned to work sometime later, where she was employed with West End Hardware, for 24 years.

Mrs Maddocks then headed to JB Cameron's where she worked for 11 and half years and was manager for the last two years before she retired.

Between all that work, the Maddocks also created their own family with their only child Steve joining the world two years after their marriage.

The Maddocks both speak very fondly of their son who has continued the Maddocks' sporting legacy and is now a highly fancied cricket coach with St Kilda in the Victorian Premier Cricket competition.

Ron and Wendy are also grandparents to two boys, but both have built their lives overseas.

One of their grandsons was married to an English girl living in England while the other is married to an American girl in the United States.

Between work and family, the Maddock's have also completed their fair share of travelling touching down in 27 different countries.

But for Mr and Mrs Maddock, despite all their travel they love to spend their time together and in the garden.

"We enjoy each other's company and of course we get on well, otherwise we wouldn't have been together this long would we," Mrs Maddocks said.

"There are no arguments and if there is anything or big decisions, with household things or anything like that we discuss it all."

"We are gardeners and we are flat out keeping the garden going and Wendy is flat out keeping the house going," Mr Maddocks said.

"You just have to respect one and other. I think mutual respect and mutual trust are very, very important."

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