Emma Pritchard

They have been dancing together since they met, and as Vic and June Finney of Grafton celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary on August 7, there was no better way for them to commemorate the special occasion.

The couple, aged 92 and 91 respectively, have always loved dancing, citing the waltz, quickstep, and the Pride of Erin as some of their favourites.

“It’s a wonderful way of bringing people together,” Mr Finney said.

“And it’s a terrific way for young blokes to meet young ladies.

“If you see a lady at a dance, you go up to her and ask if she would like to dance with you.”

And that is exactly what he did during a community dance at the St Matthews Hall in South Grafton in early 1953, when a young lady by the name of June Ellem caught his eye from across the dance floor.

“We danced a couple of times (that night), and we grew together from there,” he said.

“And now we’ve been dancing together for 70 years.”

Surrounded by their friends and families, the couple married in St Matthews Church, now the site of Riverside Church, in South Grafton.

They welcomed their first two daughters Junell and Vicky, who were born at the former Runnymede Hospital in Grafton, while Mr Finney worked in South Grafton where he regularly undertook local milk runs.

Their third daughter Karen was born in the Sutherland Shire in the southern region of Sydney after the family relocated to the city when Mr Finney began working as a business representative for Aluminium Windows.

The family later moved to Kempsey and spent seven years in the Macleay Valley before journeying further north to Grafton in 2017.

“June still had family living in the area,” Mr Finney explained.

“We both liked the area, we had a look around, and we decided to stay here and make it our home.”

On their 60th wedding anniversary in 2014, the couple were thrilled to receive a congratulatory card from the late Queen Elizabeth II, and opened their second letter from Buckingham Palace earlier this month.

“King Charles III sent us a card for our 70th wedding anniversary, which was quite wonderful,” Mr Finney said.

Along with sharing their fondness of dancing with their loved ones, the couple celebrated their special day by having lunch at their home with their extended family.

The couple have nine grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren, with another two due before Christmas and in early 2025.

Mr Finney said the secret to a long and happy marriage is “give and take”, and always supporting your partner.

“And dancing,” he added.