Irene and Ralph’s 70 years of happiness
LIKE many other couples in 1940s Cairns, Ralph Rayment and Irene Best met on the floor of the Trocadero Dance Hall.
The Troc was the place to be on Fridays and Saturdays, dancing to the orchestra under the electrically driven punkahs.
Irene was teaching at Parramatta State School, while Ralph had been a WWII pilot and was working as a fitter and turner in the city’s railway workshop.
“They fell in love and were married on Easter Monday, April 7, 1947, at the Catholic Church in Yandina,” says daughter Linda Frisch.
“Following a honeymoon on Daydream Island, they settled in Cairns.”
Ralph, 96, and Irene, 91, celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary yesterday and will enjoy a special afternoon tea today with friends and family at their Gordonvale home.
“Their first home was built in 1952 in MacIlwraith St, where their five children – Judy, Wendy, Ken, Kathryn and myself – were reared,” Linda said. “It was a happy home full of love.”
“Dad grew his own vegies, we raised chooks – life for us children was happy, loving and lots of enjoyment. We lived near a creek, a hill, a cane line and had cane fields all around.
“We didn’t have a lot of money, but we went on camping trips and because Dad was from Ravenshoe and Mum was from Yandina, we would have holidays at Ravenshoe one year and Yandina the following year.
“We’d go down to Yandina on the Sunlander. We thought it was an adventure.”
The couple moved to Gordonvale in 1986.
“They’ve been wonderful parents and instilled a lot of love and kindness in us. If you needed help, they were there. The morals they have instilled in their children have been passed down the generations.
“Mum still does her own cooking, a bit of cleaning and gardening. She loves reading and crosswords. She always has to be doing something.”
Linda said her father hadn’t lost his sense of humour.
“He recently had a cataract operation. Afterwards, he said ‘I suppose I’d better live a bit longer now, since I went to the trouble of getting this done’.
“They are now the proud grandparents of 17 grandchildren and 41 great grandchildren. They believe having a wonderful, large family is what keeps everyone together.”