Finch Hatton boy Des Jenner and Mackay girl Betty Hammelswang celebrate 70th anniversary

He was a Finch Hatton boy, she was a Mackay girl and after years of running into each other at dances the two forged a marriage that has lasted 70 years. Find out the secret to their success.

Des and Betty Jenner are celebrating their 70th Wedding anniversary. Picture: Contributed

After a whirlwind romance of town dances and dating, a Mackay husband and wife are celebrating 70 years of marriage and sharing their secret to success.

Desmond, 92, and Betty Jenner, 89, met in the early 1950s while attending a dance in Glenella, it wasn’t love at first sight for them but their run ins laid the foundation for the marriage of a lifetime.

Riding in from his home in Finch Hatton on a motorbike, Des used to attend every dance he could with his brother, often running into Betty Hammelswang who shared his love for dancing.

“It was a simple life in those days,” Des said.

Husband and wife Desmond and Betty Jenner will be celebrating 70 years of marriage on December 18. Photo: Fergus Gregg

The two started dating and, although not much changed from their regular routine of attending dances.

After 12 months, the two were married in the Holy Trinity Church, Mackay, on December 18, 1954 and celebrated their marriage by moving in together on a cane farm in the Pioneer Valley

“It was a very big wedding actually for a small country town boy,” Des said.

“I went cutting cane the next day … that was our honeymoon.”

With just “50 bloody pounds” in their pockets, the two lived on the farm in Pinnacle for years.

When floods hit the valley in 1956 and 1958 the Jenners had to travel to Mackay by boat to see doctors for Betty’s first pregnancy.

Betty Jenner after on her wedding day December 18, 1954.

Later Des was offered an opportunity to work on another farm in Mount Ossa, where they moved and soon he was operating as a cane harvester, remaining there for the next 20 years.

The family relocated for the last time to Andergrove where Des worked on weekends to build the family home they live in to this day.

Andergrove was still largely bush at the time, something that drew the two to the area.

The plot they chose to build on was behind a chicken farm and Des had to remove approximately forty trees before he could build on the land.

But as the house, built by Des and his son, rose around them so did the suburb, which grew into the population centre it is today.

“There was no one here,” Des said.

“We’re not in the bush anymore.”

Des and Betty with their first born daughter Debra.

The couple had three children, Debra, Shane and Ross, and 12 grandchildren

The Jenner’s went on to travel across Australia, often collecting trophies from Des’ shooting competitions and other souvenirs which are now displayed proudly around their house.

Their cabinets at home are filled with knick-knacks and souvenirs from their travel across Australia and the world.

After 70 years of marriage, Des said “the secret is, the woman’s always right” to Betty’s laughter.

“You have the arguments, don’t worry about that,” Des said.

Betty said they’ve done a lot of things together with Des adding “everywhere we go, we’re both together”.

Des and Betty will mark 70 years of marriage on December 18 quietly by going out for tea, but expect many of their neighbours and friends will be coming around to wish them a happy anniversary.

Congratulations Des and Betty on a long and successful marriage.

Originally published as Finch Hatton boy Des Jenner and Mackay girl Betty Hammelswang celebrate 70th anniversary