Happy 100 Years to June Bennie
BY DI SNEDDON
June Bennie celebrated her 100th birthday on May 11 and on May 21 the troops rallied in Singleton to fully celebrate the occasion.
June enjoys good health and lives a remarkably independent life and says it is family that continue to lift her spirits.
People made an effort to attend this wonderful, celebratory milestone and none more so than June.
She has called Melbourne home for 34 years but continues to jump on a plane and head to Singleton at least twice a year, on her own, to catch up with family and friends.
It is no big deal to June, and she is just grateful she can continue to make the trip and will continue to do so as long as she can.
June was one of six daughters to Wattie and Gertie Hinde who originally came from Denman before moving to Singleton where they spent the rest of their lives.. May, June, Sybil, Gloria, Shirley and Barbara lived with their parents in Bishopgate Street in Singleton.
June played tennis, hockey, enjoyed social dancers and worked at A. J. Godfrey’s Jewellers on leaving school.
It was here she met the love of her life, Alan Bennie but there was a problem. June already had a boyfriend. Alan’s friend was dating Mr Godfrey’s daughter and Alan spotted June behind the counter and proceeded to purchase a watch band and bravely asked June out. She said no but Alan was persistent and continued to show June his most avid attention.
World War ll saw a situation that would change June’s destiny. Alan was a tank driver and when Pearl Harbour was bombed, Australian Prime Minister Bill Curtain brought the troops back to Australia and told them they would be fighting for Australia. Alan was sent to Malaysia for three months and June made the decision she would commit her future to this man.
They married in 1947 and moved to Sydney. Their home became the Sydney ‘motel’ for all of June’s nieces and nephews and June remains particularly close to them all.
“We waited 12 years before our daughter Jan was born, so as a result I was very close to all my nieces and nephews,” June said.
I love of knitting saw June create many an item for the family
June says life is what you make it, and she believes in being happy with what you have.
“I had a marvellous husband and a wonderful daughter and son-in-law, I truly believed Jan married a man just like her father,” June said.
Friends and family travelled far and wide including cousins, Betty and Fay, who made the trip from Queensland to attend the celebrations at Singleton’s Albion Hotel.