A love story spanning seven decades has captured the hearts of dignitaries across the globe, as a local couple prepares to mark an extraordinary milestone.
By Michael Burt
Wal and Yvonne Tyson are about to reach a rare milestone that has caught the attention of King Charles, the Prime Minister, the Governer General and the NSW Premier.
The pair of community stalwarts will mark their 70th Platinum wedding anniversary on 9 July, which has inspired letters of congratulations from a host of dignitaries over the past two weeks.
“We met on a Friday night at the movies at the Bellingen Memorial Hall. It was the second of June in 1952. I will always remember that. Some friends introduced us, and it blossomed from there,” Yvonne said.
Wal proudly believes the gentlemanly act of walking Yvonne home after the movies that night clinched the start of a lifelong partnership that led to five children, 10 grandchildren, 21 great grandchildren and a soon to be great great grandchild.
They were married in 1955, and their first venture together was to continue a Tyson family tradition of dairy farming while starting a family. Wal’s great great grandfather first settled in the Bellingen valley in 1861 to start farming on a 100-hectare property that he and Yvonne still reside on to this day on Northbank Road.
Yvonne, who moved to Bellingen as a child from Dungog, became much more than a dairy farmer’s wife in a team effort with Wal in managing a milking herd during the good times and the bad.
“I was better at doing the milking than Wal was. That’s because I liked it and he didn’t.”
“Dairy farming was definitely the toughest job I have had though. There was one year in the sixties when we had 11 floods, and Wal had to spend so much time resowing pastures.”
They decided to sell the dairy farm in 1973, keeping a few acres to subdivide. Wal took on builders’ job and helped build a beautiful house with magnificent views of the Bellinger River on one of the blocks as their new home. He eventually purchased a local backhoe business and ran it for 20 years. Meanwhile, Yvonne became an ‘Avon Lady’ and looked after a large flock of meat chickens.
The couple, who both turned 90 this year, have dedicated much of their time to the community. Wal received an Order of Australia Medal (OAM) last year for a lifetime of service the Bellingen Shire through the local Lions Club and sporting groups.
Wal credits Yvonne for this achievement and enabling decades of community support and sporting endeavours.
“Yvonne has been amazing in helping me all along, from working with me on the farm through to supporting my involvement in voluntary and sporting organisations,” he said.
Wal represented the district in cricket for more than 20 years, ran the Bellingen Eel Fishing championship for 33 years, was President of the Urunga Anglers Club for 40 years and is a 50-year member of the Bellingen Lions Club.
Yvonne has also stepped up for the local community as a life member of the Bellingen Showground Commitee and actives roles in the Red Cross and the former Bellingen View Club. Despite mobility challenges Yvonne can still be spotted volunteering at the Uniting Church Op Shop on a Wednesday and at Red Cross food stalls.
When asked about the secret to marriage longevity, Yvonne’s response was simple.
“Trust. You must have trust in each other.”
• The couples four surviving children- Vicki, Julii, Jenni and Peter- and most of the extended family are planning to join them for a platinum wedding anniversary celebration at the Raleigh Hall on July 12. Sadly, their middle daughter Suzanne passed in 2018 from leukemia.
Wal and Yvonne Tyson, wedding day.