By BRIDGET COOK
CRANBOURNE couple Wally and Sheila Ballard celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary last month.
Thursday 20 February marked 60 years since the love birds tied the knot in London.
Mr Ballard said they were thrilled to reach the milestone occasion and to celebrate they held a big party with family and friends and the Cranbourne Senior Citizens Club where they are both life members.
The couple met through a mutual friend and it wasn’t long before they married.
Mr Ballard became a solider and travelled to Germany and Hong Kong with the army, where his wife joined him.
They had their first daughter, Christina, while staying in Hong Kong.
After Mr Ballard left the army, the pair moved back to England where they had another daughter, Sharon.
In 1965 they migrated to Australia where they spent many years moving throughout Victoria and had two more daughters, Susan and Ann-Marie.
Their children have since blessed them with 12 grandchildren and they now have 12 great-grandchildren.
The pair settled in Cranbourne in 1987 and have remained there since where they have involved themselves in the local community.
Mr Ballard worked for the old Berwick Shire council and is heavily involved in the senior citizens’ club, Cranbourne Bowls Club and Cranbourne RSL and their bowls club.
Mr Ballard said they have had a great 60 years together and there were too many good memories to highlight just a few.
“Sixty years is a long time and it doesn’t seem like it’s been that long,” he said.
“So we must be having fun.
“A successful marriage is about being honest with each other and not bottling things up.”
