They had no major plans for the occasion, but suspected if they decided to do anything it would be to see their priest Father Wayne Healey for a whisky.
To mark their anniversary, the couple will travel to Melbourne next month to see their son and grandchildren.
The couple met while working at Oamaru's Regina Confectionery Lolly factory in the 1950s and married on a sunny day at Oamaru's St Patrick's Basilica in 1957.
Mrs Parker (84), nee Dwyer, had taken a job in office administration and Mr Parker (89) worked as a labourer.
Mrs Parker said they were both at the factory when Charles Diver made the now famous pineapple chunks.
The two met through the factory's social club cricket team and their fondness for one another grew from there.
They both liked sport. Mr Parker played representative cricket for North Otago during the '50s and '60s and club rugby for Excelsior.
Mrs Parker played netball locally and also representative softball, once against a visiting Australian team.
After leaving the lolly factory, Mr Parker was taken on as an apprentice at Gillies Foundry and Engineering Co in Oamaru. He became a fitter and turner and stayed with the company for 30 years before retiring.
Mrs Parker secured an office administration job at the National Mortgage office in Oamaru before working for the Waitaki District Council. She retired after 17 years there.
Mrs Parker was born and raised in Oamaru, while Mr Parker was born in McNab, just outside of Gore.
His parents moved the family, including 11 siblings, to Oamaru when Mr Parker was 2.
Mrs Parker attended Oamaru's former St Thomas's Girls' High School and Mr Parker went to Waitaki Boys' High School.
A highlight from their decades together was overseas travel.
Mr Parker said they visited Australia, England, Scotland, France and Hong Kong.
''We liked going and seeing how other people lived.''
The couple offered some advice on how to get through life, whether just starting out or partway through. They said people need to live within their means and not rely on credit. They should also not ''sweat the small stuff''.
The Parkers have three children and three grandchildren.
