“We got there. Quite an achievement!” Rhonice told the Yarrawonga Chronicle. “She can be very proud of herself putting up with me!” Graeme said.
“Keep laughing and family” were the reasons advanced by Rhonice. Graeme said: “I think laughing at yourself, not taking yourself too seriously – that’s the biggest thing.” “Keep yourself busy,” Rhonice added.
Their courtship began in primary school, at what was the small Speewa Primary School, near Swan Hill. “I was eight. He was a brain at school and because he was a year ahead of me he’d tell me some answers!” Rhonice recalled. “We were just two local kids. We’ve had a lot of fun along the way.”
Sport was a significant part for both in those days for the now 81 and 82-year-olds, with Rhonice’s tennis, hockey and netball, and tennis and football with the nearby highly successful red, white and blue Tyntynder Bulldogs for Graeme in the Mid Murray Football League in the 1950s which featured much bigger towns including Swan Hill.
Graeme’s six seasons, at Bulldogland as a back pocket or full-back included junior, reserves and senior premierships.
He became a cadet engineer with Swan Hill Shire Council and Rhonice left for Melbourne Teachers College, studying to be a primary school teacher.
That special day on January 2, 1960, at the Methodist Church in Swan Hill resembled the weather currently being experienced.
“It was 45 degrees (113 degrees Fahrenheit),” the groom six decades ago commented. Rhonice and Graeme have worked hard all their lives. As golfers know, the sport requires hard work. But their aspiring occupations of school teaching and engineer, their sport and three children Kerry, Greg and Russell, made for a busy life.
That big sporting program for Graeme included 86 senior games of football with Sunshine and subsequent administration duties with Airport West, initially as a junior team manger where his sons played, then as president which resulted in life membership of the club.
Nine of his years were studying part time for a Diploma of Civil Engineering. “Rhonice was doing all the hard yards while I was studying at night school and doing long hours of work,” Graeme said.
His work career moved to Melbourne with Keilor Shire then to private construction work for 15 years before moving to Tungamah Shire Council as an engineer. Rhonice’s teaching days out Essendon way before 1980 included the teaching of star international singer Tina Arena.
Graeme’s civil engineering background proved invaluable with many and various projects at Yarrawonga Mulwala Golf Club Resort when he served four years on the Board of Directors. In 2015 he became the club’s 24th Life Member.
The happy couple love their golf, with their lowest ever handicaps being 13 (Graeme) and 16 (Rhonice). They’ve also enjoyed many a round of golf with close friends Helen and Vin Slattery.
“ ‘Ferg’s’ the greatest bloke and Rhonice is magnificent,” Vin (Casey) said. “Rhonice and Helen started teaching together in 1980 at the Yarrawonga Red School. We went to a teachers’ do and became great friends.
“I affectionately call Ferg ‘Dad’ and Rhonice ‘Mum’. “So many times we’ve been to their house at the end of Lang Street and had great times.”
The Fergusons love being active, saying the young ones keep them going. And going they do, because if it’s not a sporting day involving their participation, it’s a daily walk of several kilmometres taking in Gorman Park which Graeme was involved, as an Alexandra Park Committee member, in establishing.
“We’re very keen on our walking. If you don’t you go flat. Be happy. I want to see the next generation be happy,” Rhonice said.
“We have a beautiful family and three magnificent grandkids Jack, Lewis and Molly.” Her husband, who also plays mid-week social tennis, agreed with all his wife said.
