Elaine and Harry Harper celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary on Saturday, November 3 at the Dunn Lewis Centre.

Their families, relatives and many close friends were there to help celebrate their special occasion.

Elaine and Harry Harper first met a church dance, at Lidcombe in the western suburbs of Sydney in 1944.

After a four-year courtship they were married at St. Stevens Church of England in Lidcombe on October 30, 1948.

They bought their first home in Lidcombe around their families, and lived there for 38 years while raising their two sons John and Phillip.

As the boys grew and moved on with their own families, Harry and Elaine decided to move to Caringbah for 10 years.

Elaine trained as tailor before marriage and Harry worked for large timber joinery company, where he trained as a wood machinist, wood turner, cabinet maker and French polisher.

When this company closed, Harry and Elaine started their own business with their two sons.

This was one of the biggest companies of its kind in the Sydney metropolitan area through the 1980s.

“We manufactured shop fittings and laminated products for the kitchen industry,” son, Phil Harper said.

“We supplied products to many customers in the eastern states of Australia, and employed many tradesmen.”

Due to ill health, Elaine and Harry retired to Ulladulla 25 years ago.

They rekindled their love of old time dancing, with the dance groups in the Milton-Ulladulla region, where they would danced two nights a week.

Harry still also spends numerous hours a week down in his workshop at home, Phil said.

“He produces many fine timber products form beautiful jewellery boxes to children’s rocking horses and much more.”

They have two wonderful daughters’ in-law, six grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

Elaine has said of their happy years of marriage that, care and their love and patience for one another, is why they are still together 70 years on.