A WHIRLWIND romance, two children, three grandchildren and eight different business ventures have led Michael and Julie Tuohy to celebrate their golden wedding anniversary this month.
Meeting in Merino in 1968, the pair shares a lifetime of memories, starting with special date nights at the drive-in theatre.
“I had the Railway Hotel in Merino and Julie worked at the telephone exchange across the road,” Mr Tuohy said.
“My father had the lease of the drive-in theatre at Portland and on Friday and Sunday nights I used to go and do the operating.
“So our dates at the beginning were a bit funny, Julie used to come and watch me show movies at the theatre – we did not even sit together.”
Despite their unconventional date nights, the couple married less than two years later on January 24, 1970.
With Mr Touhy’s family previously in the hotel business, the pair decided they would spend their life operating accommodation services, renovating and selling them as they went.
Throughout the years, The Tuohys took on properties across Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia, living in seven different locations while raising two children, Lisa and Andrew.
Although 50 years on, the couple has happily settled in the Blue Lake city where both their children and three grandchildren reside.
However, family life has not been without its struggles.
During the first years of their marriage, the couple experienced five miscarriages.
Ms Tuohy said the loss of five pregnancies was almost too devastating to bear.
“You did not have the support around you back then like you do now,” she said.
“We had fantastic family support and we are very blessed in that respect, but it just was not the same as what it is now.”
Mr Tuohy recalled he would carry Ms Tuohy up and down the stairs of their hotel while she was pregnant after she was put under strict bed rest conditions by her doctor to try and avoid a miscarriage.
After the couple’s struggle to become parents in the traditional ways, they turned to adoption but again were met with disappointment.
“The doctor had advised us not to try and have any more children, so we thought we would try to adopt,” Mr Tuohy said.
“We went through all of the rigmarole, they came and had a look at our hotel and told us the bathroom needed to be updated and the rooms needed to be bigger.
“So we knocked a wall out and did up the bathroom but the chap who was handling our case was sent back to Melbourne.
“Another bloke came in and sat down with us and said ‘in my opinion, a hotel is not a proper place to bring up a child so your request is denied’.
“It was devastating – I will never forget the look on Julie’s face.”
Eventually, the couple fell pregnant with Lisa, who was followed shortly after by her brother Andrew.
Although they were told hotel life was not suitable for children, the family shares fond memories of their time in the accommodation industry, with holidays and community events a highlight.
Throughout their time living away, Ms Tuohy always thought she would end up living in the Blue Lake city.
“I remember when we were first married and we would drive over to Mount Gambier from Merino every month,” she said.
“I would always say we were going to live in Mount Gambier one day and eventually we did.”
The move to the Limestone Coast led to the couple taking on the Avalon Motel, before opening Chemdry Carpet Cleaning.
Now retired, the Tuohys’ put their energy into volunteering for service clubs and spending time with their much loved grandchildren.
Mr Tuohy said being part of service clubs throughout their lives was one of the most rewarding aspects.
This dedication saw Mr Tuohy receive an OAM in 2019, following in his father’s footsteps.
“We have always been part of Lions and Apex wherever we were,” he said.
“Life was busy and we were always working, but we made time to give back.
“Giving back to the community is something my father instilled in me from a young age and we have tried to do the same with our children.
“You are never too young or too busy to help your community.”
When asked what the secret was to their long-lasting love, Ms Tuohy said unconditional support was key.
“We are always too busy to fight,” she joked.
“Our secret is just being there to support each other.
“Things have definitely not been easy, but we always stood by each other and did not give up when things got too hard.
“That’s the most important thing.”
