“I WAS a milk bar pickup,” says Rhonda Miller with a cheeky smile.
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Sixty years into a happy marriage, she takes a stroll down memory lane to a day when the sun was shining, and she tied the knot with the man who wooed her over the counter: Hilton Miller. October 16, 1954, was, she recollects, a beautiful day.
“I used to work in a milk bar next to Gladesville Theatre in Sydney,” explains Rhonda.
“Hilton used to come in to order a milkshake and chat with the owner, who was a friend of his. He used to talk a lot. Finally, one evening he talked so much I missed the last bus. I think he did it on purpose, so he could drive me home. He was very cunning!”
Hilton’s version is a little different. “She missed the last bus, and her boss asked me if I could drive her home!” Admittedly, when she walked out from behind the counter, he couldn’t quite believe his luck.
The after-work drive home was the beginning of an over the counter courtship that lasted several years until they were married at Christ Church in Gladesville in front of family and friends. Hilton, a carpenter joiner by trade, built their first home in Putney near where Rhonda had lived with her parents since she was born, and there they remained for many years.
“When we got married, I thought ‘Great, I can finally leave Putney’ and then we ended up not only in Putney, but in the same street as my parents,” laughs Rhonda.
“Ten doors away.” adds Hilton.
Rhonda spent many years working as the assistant to the chief engineer at Channel 7, followed by 19 years as the assistant to the general manager of North Ryde RSL, whilst Hilton continued his work as a carpenter joiner with various companies. The couple sadly buried their first daughter at three months of age, but were fortunate to welcome their son Ian James into the world several years later. Today, they are the proud grandparents of three young adults.
“I’m quite happy with the way things have gone,” reflects Rhonda, gazing thoughtfully out to the busy bowling green.
“We’ve never argued much at all. Sixty years of marriage is a long time. I didn’t think I would live this long, let alone be happily married.”
- Rhonda Miller
The happy couple celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary amongst friends with a morning tea at the Forster Bowling Club.
