In a wonderful sign of lifelong love, Jack and Joan O'Regan last week celebrated their 72nd wedding anniversary.
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Joan is 92 years old and Jack celebrated his 90th in December.
Jack visits Joan at the Bega nursing home every day, where staff made a sign and helped to make it a very memorable day for them.
Jack and Joan were married in East Melbourne on May 12, 1945, while Jack was on leave from the army. The wedding date was arranged on short notice as they were uncertain if Jack would be sent overseas.
Jack was married in his Army uniform and Joan in a tailored suit. Joan walked from Richmond to the Saint John's Catholic Church in East Melbourne with a girlfriend who worked with her in Myers Department Store, Melbourne.
Father Cassidy would only marry them in a side room, rather than in the main church sanctuary, because Joan was not Catholic.
Unfortunately the photographer forgot to put film in his camera which resulted with no photos of their special day.
Their honeymoon was short because Jack only had a weekend pass, so they spent time rabbit shooting at Ballan in Victoria with two of Jack’s brothers and their wives. The following day Jack had to return to the Army post at Bathurst.
They moved from Victoria to Quaama in 1979 where they enjoyed life on their small farm before moving to ‘The Oaks’ in Bega in 2010.
Jack and Joan have two children, seven grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.