Married on October 31, 1953 in Goondiwindi, Eileen and Noel Barry celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary with 75 friends and family at the Imperial Hotel.

They were fortunate to have their complete wedding party stand beside them again.

Eileen baked the cake for the party and it was beautifully decorated by Aileen Roberts to mark the occasion.

They were also feted at the Danthonia community where a special event was held in their honour. 

Congratulations to the Barrys arrived from HRH Queen Elizabeth II, Australian Governor-General Quentin Bryce, Prime Minister Tony Abbott, NSW Premier Barry O’ Farrell, NSW Governor Marie Bashir, Member for Northern Tablelands Adam Marshall, Member for New England Barnaby Joyce and Inverell mayor Paul Harmon.

The beginning of their married life is a picture of a bygone era in the Northern Tablelands.

Eileen was a 17-year-old English girl from Bath who had moved to Australia with her family early in 1952. She came down as a governess from Southport, QLD in January of 1953 for the Thompson family at Yannarie Station at North Star. 

Noel was a young wheat share-farmer who was born in the original farmhouse at the Tullintulla property of Newstead, delivered by his grandmother and aunt during a flood of the Yalleroi Creek 83 years ago.

Noel knew the young woman was coming to Yannarie, but the first glimpse of Eileen didn’t tell him much.

“They were coming in and they got bogged. I just come off the tractor about half-past 11 that night, and the owner of the property’s brother-in-law walked in to get back in the Land Rover to pull them out.

“I knew they were bringing the governess back with him, and I’m trying to get a look at her, but it was too dark!”

Although there was some competition for Eileen’s attentions, Noel’s dancing skill proved an asset, since Eileen was a keen ballroom dancer.

“We used to go dancing a lot. Eileen and I used to go dancing to Coolatai and we’d go to the pictures of a Saturday night when I wasn’t farming,” Noel said.

“He was more persistent,” Eileen added. 

She said another attraction was Noel’s sprawling family. 

“He would sort of stop by and say ‘Come over home, and have a cup of tea’. 

“Of course, (Noel) being one of 13, it was like being out with a lot of friends. It was nice being amongst a big family.”

It was after a night out that he chose the moment to ask for her hand. They dropped his two brothers and sister home at Tullintulla.

“We come home from the Coolatai dance, actually. At the boundary gate, we’d always stop and talk for a while, and that’s where I popped the question on her.

“When I said, will you marry me, she said, ‘I expect so. That was the answer. ‘I expect so’,” he laughed.

“And it went from there.”

They met in January, engaged in June and married in October.

The years that followed found them following a shared dream to have farms of their own.

Though she was a city girl by birth, Eileen embraced county life. She looked forward to spending childhood summers on her uncle’s farm in Herefordshire so life on the land was natural for her. 

At the beginning, Eileen took a job in town as a bookkeeper, but they soon built up enough and she returned to work side by side with Noel on the farms.

“When we were getting on our feet, I was all day with Noel. I would go out in the paddocks and help with the sheep, or if he was shearing I’d help with the wool,” Eileen said.

“We used to shear our own sheep. We shore 100 bales of wool one year between Eileen and I,” Noel said.

“I’d shear, throw the fleece on the table and then Eileen would skirt it and put it aside. And when she got five or six, I’d class it, because I was a professional wool classer.” 

“We done that right through.”

Life was very long days out, then coming home late for lambs to feed, dogs to look after and Eileen always made sure there was a hot meal on the table.

In their time, they established three farms around Bundarra: Ardentenny, Hexham and Ventura and in the process built up some excellent sheep bloodlines.

The couple are very proud of their successful children: two sons, Colin and Kevin and their daughter Maria, and all their grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Their other achievement is keeping their marriage healthy and happy with strong, shared philosophies.

“You’ve got to be compatible,” Eileen said

Noel said, “Give and take. Make decisions…”

“…together,” Eileen finished.

Noel nodded. “And stick to them. If we disagree, we don’t do it. That’s what we’ve always done. We’ve always talked it over and agreed,” he said. 

“If one doesn’t want to do it, discuss why, and see if you can work it out.” Eileen said.

Sharing the anniversary with so many people was memorable, but one special visitor made the event even more special-bringing their 60 years together full-circle.

Bill Thompson was a small boy when Eileen taught him at Yannerie in 1953. The Barrys had only seen him once in all these years. 

The day after their party, 40 people were at the Barrys for a barbecue breakfast. Eileen was in her kitchen when he arrived.

“All of a sudden, I heard everyone say, ‘It’s Bill Thompson’. He actually walked past Noel, and walked in here and as soon as I saw him (I knew him). He’s so much like his father. He calmly picked me straight away,” Eileen said.

“It was a big surprise and we were quite thrilled about it.”