Both were in stitches in Canterbury Hospital, sometime in 1953.

“I’d been playing football and I got a hit on the head and I had to get stitches over one eye, so they took me to the hospital,” George said.

Imelda was at the Royal National Park for a picnic when she too was injured.

“We were in the boats, and I was hit with an oar and I had to get stitches,” she said.

Both came from the same area of Sydney and discovered they had many mutual friends.

George plucked up the courage to ask Imelda out.

“I was going to a ball and I thought I’d ask Imelda if she would like to come with me, and she said yes,” he said.

“I thought she was attractive - and she is.”

The couple courted, were engaged, and married on April 16, 1955.

George and Imelda had five children – three boys and two girls – and now boast 10 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Imelda worked throughout their marriage, primarily at pharmacies and also as a professional singer.

Her singing career was an enormous success. Imelda worked for the Elizabethan Theatre Trust, the Australian Opera Company and as a resident ABC artist.

“I could always sing,” Imelda said.

“I used to do a lot of solos when I was at school.

“I did weddings, eisteddfods and branched out and went interstate and did competitions there.

“Then I was employed by the ABC - that opened up a few doors.”

Imelda was in the first television opera in the late 1960s.

“For one of them we did the vocal recording in the Sydney Town Hall and they bought a picture theatre at Chatswood and we did all the action there,” she said.

“Costumes were all made in beautiful colours, but it was all (filmed) in black and white.

“It was good fun.”

Meanwhile, George worked as a motor vehicle body builder with WS Grice Coach Builders, building hearses, buses and ambulances.

“They used to be done in timber in those days and covered with metal,” he said.

“I was doing the woodwork side of it.

“It was all by hand.

“I left there and went to the fire brigade, building fire engines.”

George later moved to Leyland to work in experimental engineering.

“We used to make mock ups in timber and clay,” he said.

The couple said their happiest times were when their children were of school age.

Their toughest times were working to pay off their Sydney home, while supporting five children at independent schools.

“I worked two or three jobs sometimes, more for the children than for me,” George said.

“That was tough.”

“That was probably the hardest, getting enough to keep your heads above water,” Imelda added.

“I can remember having sixpence in my purse sometimes and thinking ‘when’s pay day?’. You learnt to be a good manager.

“There were quite a few other people in a similar situation then.

“Younger people didn’t expect anything.

“Parents had nothing, nine times out of 10, so if you wanted it, you had to work hard.”

The couple retired to Batemans Bay – where Imelda’s parents were from.

They became involved in Sing Australia, Meals on Wheels and George volunteered with St Vincent de Paul for a decade. Both attend the Batemans Bay Probus Club, Imelda does craft and George is actively involved with the Batemans Bay Men’s Shed.

They said keeping busy and maintaining their own interests were key to their relationship’s longevity.

“You’ve got to have your own interests,” Imelda said.

“It’s nice to have something in common, but you’ve got to have something for yourself.

“It takes you out of the day-to-day grind.”

George said communication helped.

“We could always talk to each other, there was no animosity,” he said.

“If there was a problem we could work it out.”

George and Imelda celebrated their 60 years of marriage with family at Bowral.