Cade Lucas
When Werribee’s Sue and Gus Dudley got married in June 1954, the Petrov affair had just rocked Australia and the Cold War and ‘Reds Under the Beds’ fear campaign were well under way. Queen Elizabeth II had earlier in the year made her first visit to Australia as monarch, while Footscray were on the way to winning their first, and until 2016, only VFL/AFL premiership.
Not to labour the point, but it was a long time ago and the world was a very different place
Yet one thing that has stayed the same in the decades since is the marriage between 88-year-old Sue and 91-year-old Gus who will mark their 70th wedding anniversary on Wednesday, June 19.
To explain how they got here, Gus takes up the story.
“Sue and I were married on the 19th June, 1954 in Sydney, NSW. We first met at a dance in Sydney and after a few dates, my ship, the aircraft carrier HMAS. Sydney sailed to England with the Australian and New Zealand contingent for the late Queen Elizabeth’s Coronation. Sue and I lost contact with each other but when the Sydney had returned from the Coronation cruise, Sue heard the Sydney was in dock and we reconnected and started dating again.
“The romance blossomed but then my ship sailed to Japan during the Korean War and we kept in contact by mail. On my return to Australia, I was drafted to a shore establishment in Victoria, so it was either get married or be separated again.
“After 70 years that marriage is still strong. Sue and I will celebrate our anniversary with four children, 12 grandchildren, six great grandchildren and two great, great grandchildren,” wrote Gus in a letter to Star Weekly.
Among the five generations of Dudley’s celebrating the milestone this week is their eldest daughter, 68-year-old Lynn .
She said while her mum and dad have slowed down, they’re still doing remarkably well for their age.
“They’re with it, they’re not very active but they’re happy. They both do a lot of jigsaws and puzzles.”
While her parents moved to Werribee in the 1970’s, Lynn still lives in Newport where they lived while Gus worked in the railways after leaving the Navy and where Sue raised she and her three siblings.
She’s now the closest to her parents, with her two younger sisters and older brother having long since left the western suburbs.
However, Lynn said they’re all returning this weekend for their parents anniversary.
While the actual date is June 19, the Dudley clan will celebrate the anniversary in Werribee on Saturday, June 22.
“They’re all coming down, we’re having a bit of a shindig.”
