NEITHER Annette nor Terry Little’s families gave them a chance of lasting six months when the two 25-year-olds decided to get married in 1966.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
They should have never worried.
The couple, who wedded in a civil ceremony after a whirlwind four month courtship, celebrated their fiftieth anniversary together on May 20 this year.
Throughout the years they faced their fair share of troubles, including the difficult decision of having to choose between an engagement ring or a dining table with chairs.
The young couple opted at the time for the dining table, something Terry rectified recently when he bought Annette a diamond engagement ring for their fiftieth anniversary.
“It took 50 years but she finally got her ring," Terry smiled.
Terry and Annette first met when they were working at a grocery warehouse in Botany.
They started talking one night at a friend’s party and, according to Terry, “things just clicked”.
They married not long after.
“The whole family was against us," said Terry.
Things were tough at the start, with the couple often working two or three jobs each.
Terry, a lifelong musician, even had to go play a gig on the night of their wedding, returning home when he was done.
“When we started we had $40 to our name,” Terry said.
“We didn’t have money for anything, we had just enough to pay rent."
“Everything seemed to be put in our path to break us up,” Annette said.
They soldiered on though, and were rewarded with a blossoming family that now includes three children, four grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren (one deceased).
The two married again in a formal church ceremony some years later, with their respective families now in attendance.
“They’d realised we weren’t going to break up,” Annette smiled.
The couple retired and moved from Mount Pleasant to Cundletown in 2000.
They celebrated their fiftieth in private fashion as well – having lunch with each other in Newcastle and talking about old memories.
“We talked about things that we hadn't thought about in years,” Terry said.
When asked what the secret was to a long and successful marriage, Annette briefly paused before answering.
“If you’ve got something to say, say it, don’t stew on it,” she said.
“And don’t go to bed at night angry at someone.”