Celebrating five decades of marriage and ‘Paradise’

BRINSMEAD couple Mick and Roni Huxley will celebrate 50 years of marriage today with family and friends.

Married at Twickenham in England on October 22, 1966, they arrived in Australia in 1973 with their two young daughters.

“They left England to give their family a better life,” says daughter Michelle Wattridge.

“After a couple years in Melbourne and the birth of another daughter, they decided to see Australia and travelled up the East Coast in a Kingswood station wagon with three young daughters and neighbours from across the road.”

When they arrived in Cairns in 1975, the Captain Cook Motel was the place to stay – it’s gone now, although the statue remains – and there was only one set of traffic lights in the city.

“They immediately fell in love with region,” Michelle said. “Dad said he had found paradise.”

They lived at Yorkeys Knob for 22 years before moving to Brinsmead – home for the last 18 years.

During the early years at Yorkeys, Roni was a fulltime mum and volunteered at Yorkeys Knob State School.

She later worked at ABC Early Learning Centres and has volunteered at Vinnies for the last 10 years.

Mick worked for Bush Pilots Airways and was in involved in the insurance industry before joining Allan’s Pool Shop.

“Dad loved the ocean, so spent his weekends volunteering for the Australian Coast Guard and was commander for many years.

“He spent over 25 years with the Coast Guard.

“We can recall him attending many sea rescues in pretty wild weather and being called out at all times of the day and night for someone who had broken down on the reef.”

Michelle said the family loved exploring the region in a Kombi van and camping.

They watched regatta races at Lake Placid, fundraised for the Lions Club and took part in Fun in the Sun parades.

“Mum and dad continue to have a wide circle of friends they catch up with at The Reef Hotel Casino,” Michelle said.

“They have watched Cairns grow into a spectacular city and seen their three girls get married and become parents themselves, all here in this beautiful city.”

Mick and Roni will celebrate tonight with 40 family and friends, including daughters Michelle, Teresa Collins and Leanne Huxley, their sons-in-law, nine grandchildren, Mick’s brother Ray Huxley from Melbourne, and Roni’s mum, 92-year-old Rose Chaplin.