By Ruth McCarthy
Woman's Day is not the only one who turned 60 this year! June North tells how she and husband Alan have stuck together through thick and thin to love each other for 60 wonderful years...
Standing outside the church, chatting with friends from her youth group, June spied a new face in the crowd.
"It was a young man," she recalls. "He looked like such a friendly fellow."
Back then June was a 17-year-old, living with her parents in Brisbane and working as a stenographer. "We got chatting. He said his name was Alan; he was 17 too and worked as a banker."
Smart and fit, Alan was perfect, and a year on they started dating. But with WWII raging, the couple were cruelly separated when Alan was called to fight in Dutch New Guinea. "My heart broke the day he left," says June, remembering how they wrote letters to each other every week. "Then one day I got a letter from Alan proposing marriage. I floated around in a lovesick daze."
But it would be another two years before Alan returned. "It's true that absence makes the heart grow fonder. And when he came back I threw my arms around him, smothering him in kisses."
Yet all was not well. Haunted by the horrors of what he'd experienced, Alan became quiet and withdrawn. He was a shadow of his former happy self. "He never spoke about what he'd seen," June says. "But with everyone's love and support he got through it."
The couple married on April 24, 1948, in front of 40 relatives at Nundah Presbyterian Church. "It was a wonderful day. I wore a lace top, teal skirt and long train and Alan was dressed to the nines in a black suit and tie."
Alan had swapped his job at the bank for a new life as a clergyman. The newlyweds moved to a modest home in Tamborine, Queensland, where Alan was head of the local church. "It was so hard. We had hardly any money back then, and living in the shadows of war it was a dark, depressing time for all, especially when I fell pregnant with Gill in 1949."
They were surviving on the breadline, with no fridge in which to keep the baby's milk. With summer's soaring temperatures, the milk would sour in minutes. June had nothing but a small food safe to store what little provisions they had.
Despite the struggles, it wasn't long before June and Alan decided to increase their brood. The couple had Pamela in 1951 and Bruce in 1954.
When the kids were in primary school the family moved to a suburb of Brisbane, where Alan returned to his work in a bank and June got a job in a childcare centre.
She gave up work again in 1967, when she discovered she was pregnant with her fourth child Philip — an unexpected, but very happy surprise. "We were in utter shock," she recalls, but as she looks back June has nothing but fond memories of those days. "I remember every year we'd all look forward to our three-week family holiday on the coast."
By 1972, June and her family had moved south to Canberra. As time passed, one by one June's children flew the nest. June and Alan should have been looking forward to relaxing retirement years, but life seemed busier than ever. Yet that's when June became familiar with
Woman's Day.
"Being a busy mum and worker I never had time for magazines. But as the girls got older they became big fans of
Woman's Day, reading up on all the celebrity gossip and the fashion."
When her kids had finished reading the magazine cover to cover, it was then handed to June, who finally had time to put up her feet and flick through an issue.
"I read the celebrity pages, but the real-life stories and all the cookery pages are my favourite. I've often jotted down a few of the recipes to try before giving the girls' copy back to them. I can't believe the magazine launched the year we were married — it has as many wonderful memories as Alan and I have."
And when June wasn't enjoying some quiet time, having a flick through
Woman's Day, she'd be pursuing her other hobbies such as knitting and embroidery, while Alan would spend time in the garden.
Then in 2001, after suffering a stroke, June found a new hobby — writing. "The stroke left me paralysed on my left side." She was in a wheelchair for six weeks and needed extensive physiotherapy.
"Many people struggle to get back on their feet again after a stroke. I know I did... but with determination and Alan's support I didn't give up. If I could do it anyone could, so I wrote a book giving advice and support for other stroke victims."
June's book was published and she's enjoyed writing ever since. It's a passion June and Alan share. Both have penned their life stories and Alan is currently finishing writing his fourth novel.
The couple reached their diamond wedding anniversary this April and are more in love than ever. Of course the big question everyone wants to ask is how did they do it?
"I guess in this day and age, reaching six years of marriage, let alone 60, is quite something," says June. "We're both 84 now and Alan is my soul mate. With love and friendship we've leapt over every hurdle, passed every test, and embarked on every adventure together. And had a lot of laughs along the way."
On April 24, Alan and June celebrated their wedding anniversary with a big family party. It was a wonderful day with all their nearest and dearest there to share it. "I feel truly blessed," reflects June. "I have four wonderful children, six grandchildren and four great grandchildren."
But for June the happiest part of her life has been meeting and marrying Alan. "He is my best friend, lover and my soul mate," June beams. "Like
Woman's Day, we've shared a wonderful 60 years so far. Together we're looking forward to enjoying many more."
June's marriage secrets
- Always have implicit trust in each other.
- During the rough and the smooth, be there for each other emotionally — stick together through thick and thin.
- Understand each other and accept each other for who you are. Have patience with each other's weaknesses.
- Take time to reflect and remember, to talk and laugh about the special days. Enjoy the memories you've made.
- Never nag; it leads to bad feelings.
- Resist having personal arguments in front of others. It makes the atmosphere uncomfortable and it's something that's best resolved between the two of you.
- Keep the spark alive and organise special surprises occasionally.
- Always apologise for a hurt.
In pictures
Everyone loves a wedding — or at least to have a stickybeak at one! From the beautiful to the bizarre, celebs have been known to throw a showy nuptial or two. See them all as we look back at
60 years of celebrity weddings.
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