Celebrating a love in full bloom for six decades

Outram flower show stalwarts John (82) and Daphne (80) Macfarlane celebrate their 60th wedding...
Outram flower show stalwarts John (82) and Daphne (80) Macfarlane celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary today. PHOTO: GREGOR RICHARDSON
When John Macfarlane first saw Daphne Richards, they were at a mutual friend’s pre-wedding party in North Dunedin in the late 1950s.

It turned out to be a fateful night.

Mr Macfarlane was with a couple of friends when he first spied his future wife.

"Two or three of my mates were there, too, and two of them had eyes on Daph, and I pounced first," Mr Macfarlane said.

"Those big brown eyes."

Today, the couple are marking their diamond wedding anniversary after 60 years of marriage.

They recently celebrated with live music, dancing and 51 of their closest friends and family at Hotel Taieri.

It was only 1km from where they were married 60 years earlier.

Because Daphne was only 18 when they met, the couple had to wait two years before getting married, to satisfy the bride’s parents who thought she was too young.

On March 17, 1961, Daphne Richards turned 20.

On April 1, 1961, the Macfarlanes were married at East Taieri Presbyterian Church by the Rev John Mathews.

It rained on their wedding day, Mrs Macfarlane recalled.

She began the day at her parents’ farm at Maungatua.

With her father, she started milking the cows at 3.30pm; the wedding was at 5.30pm.

"It was hot as anything. We came out of the church and there was a thunderplump," she said.

"So, we didn’t linger long, and we had the reception at the guide hall in Mosgiel."

With the little bit of give and take a solid marriage requires, the two have flourished together.

Mr Macfarlane, who was originally from Christchurch, retired as a foreman from the Mosgiel Woollen Mill.

Mrs Macfarlane worked several jobs, including at Outram’s Four Square.

The two found their stride together in the garden, where they often spend their time.

They had a short spell as market gardeners, but are well known for their flowers.

They have spent more than 50 years showing in flower shows. Mrs Macfarlane has two Banksian medals, a gladiola medal and five rose medals.

hamish.maclean@odt.co.nz


 

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