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    DIAMOND ANNIVERSARY: Minyip’s Bob and Jill Robbins will celebrate 60 years of marriage tomorrow. They are pictured at an early celebratory dinner on Saturday night with their children, from left, Trudi Davis, Nicky Russell, Tricia Lehmann and Wayne Robbins. Picture: PAUL CARRACHER
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    Minyip's Bob and Jill Robbins will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary on February 25.
  • Hero image
    Minyip's Bob and Jill Robbins will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary on February 25.
  • Hero image
    Minyip's Bob and Jill Robbins will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary on February 25.

Tractor ‘test’ to 60 years blessed for Bob and Jill Robbins

By SARAH MATTHEWS

Minyip’s Bob Robbins had been courting Jill Griffiths for six or seven months when his mother turned to him one Sunday afternoon and said, ‘You don’t want to let this one get away, Bobby’.

Bob knew his mother was right, but according to Jill, she first had to pass an important test.

“He asked me if I could drive a tractor,” she said.



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“That’s what he wanted, a tractor driver. I said, ‘sort of’ and I think I must have passed.”

Bob and Jill married in the Presbyterian Church at Donald on February 25, 1961.

Tomorrow, they will mark 60 years of marriage. 

“We were supposed to be married a week earlier, but it was duck opening weekend and none of the boys were going to come,” Jill said.

“Duck opening was really big back then because there was a lot of water in Lake Buloke – people used to come from all over the place. We ended up changing our wedding to the following week.”

The couple enjoyed a celebration with immediate family at Baa 3400 in Horsham on Saturday night. 

“We have four children, three girls and a boy,” Jill said. 

“They’re all married happily, and I have 11 grandchildren. I don’t have any great-grandchildren yet, but I would like some.”

Bob and Jill live on their family farm, Wybara – between Minyip and Rupanyup – which is now run by their son, Wayne.

Minyip's Bob and Jill Robbins will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary on February 25.

Jill said she loved farm life.

“It’s always really great – there’s something different every day,” she said.

“What you put in, you’ll get out. 

“I have helped on the farm a fair bit over the 60 years – you have to, especially over shearing and times like that. 

“I was 22 when I married and I didn’t have a career. 

“I made my career as a wife and mother.”

Jill and Bob met at a mutual friend’s 18th birthday party and started dating two years later.

“He asked me out at a ball at Minyip and we went to another one the next weekend, at St Arnaud,” she said.

They have been together ever since.

Jill said having shared interests was a key to the couple’s longevity.

“We didn’t go out a lot and we did everything together, like yabbying and seaside holidays – it gives you something to talk about later in life,” she said.

“Also, being a farmer’s wife, you have to be patient – especially at cropping or harvest time, because they spend a lot of time out in the paddock and you have to have good meals when they come home. 

“Bob and I are very lucky though. We have great kids, who have good partners, and wonderful grandchildren. 

“We’ve always had something to be proud of, be happy about and look forward to.”

 

RELATED: A golden date to remember for Sheryl and Edwin Bartlett

 

RELATED: Betty and Les Peachey celebrating 70 years

The entire February 24, 2021 edition of The Weekly Advertiser is available online. READ IT HERE!

The entire February 24, 2021 edition of AgLife is available online. READ IT HERE!