John and Rae Stewart are celebrating 70 years of marriage.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Mr Stuart was born in 1925 at Winkleigh, where his parents had an 80-hectare farm. Every day, he rode his bike 25 miles to Beaconsfield for school.
His family later moved to Bathurst Street and he attended Launceston High School until he was 14, when he began working as a commercial compositor.
He met Rae Brown at a concert whilst he was piping in the New Caledonian Pipe Band. She was performing as a soloist, singing soprano.
“She was a wonderful singer. She won many competitions here in Launceston, and was invited as a guest singer to the likes of Perth, Adelaide, and of course, here in Tasmania,” Mr Stuart said.
Mrs Stewart said that singing kept her busy.
“I used to sing with a choir, as we used to have a big ladies choir here in Launceston. The rest were solos... I got to go and sing in a lot of different places,” she said.
Since retiring, the two have spent most of their time travelling and with family. They have had two children, Craig and Leighton, and now have four grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
The pair said that there’s one piece of advice they would give other couples.
“We don’t argue. If we don’t agree, we don’t carry on – we just say ‘yes dear’ and move on,” MR Stewart said. “Arguing doesn’t get you anywhere, does it?”
Mr and Mrs Stewart are proud of reaching their 70th wedding anniversary, and are looking forward to the years to come.
“Rae has been a wonderful companion, and I love her so much,” Mr Stewart said.