Tuncurry’s Jack and Valarie Ross first began writing to each other as pen pals 72 years ago. It was an era when the concept of today’s more transitory Facebook was far from being a reality and unbeknownst to them, Jack and Valarie’s future was set the minute 14-year-old Valarie posted her details on-air.

“I walked into the local radio station to have a look around with a friend, and they made us give them our details for the pen-pals segment,” recalled Valarie, referring to the then-popular radio personality Charlie Chuckles.

It was Jack who responded and his motivation was simple.

“I just wanted to have someone to write to,” he said.

What ensued was 12 years of correspondence, with letters going back and forth on a weekly basis between Valarie in Casino (regional NSW) to Jack in urban Annandale (Sydney). 

They covered topics including sport, Jack’s work as an apprentice plumber, Valarie’s job as an usherette, day to day matters that came up. They sent gifts to each in the post, including Jack’s still functioning Unicorn watch and Valarie’s birthday lamp, meeting up every now and then.

“I think the art of letter writing is dying,” Jack reflected.

“I didn’t think of marriage at the time. But I’ve had a lot of trips to Casino, I know that,” Jack laughed.

After he casually proposed one day during a drive, the pen-pals tied the knot on September 29, 1956 at St Marys Catholic Church, Casino. Val moved to Sydney, working for the NRMA for 22 years, while Jack moved across a range of jobs until he found himself working in a funeral parlour for 18 years. They have two sons, Mark and Gregory.

Now 60 years on from their wedding day, neither ever imagined that when they first picked up a pen 72 years ago they would end up together 

“We blend in, like a sponge cake,” laughed Val. “We just get on, we have our moments, but we get over it.”

“We’re a little bit dis-alike,” said Jack, admitting to different hobbies and interests, “but it works.”

Until their moved to Tuncurry in 1993, Valarie had boxes of their correspondence stored away.

“I had every letter,” she said proudly.

But ever the pragmatist in the face of a big move, what did she do with them?

“I burnt them!”

By contrast it remains to be seen whether today’s blind-daters and couples are saving their early and current evidence of correspondence, which flies through cyberspace to each other’s inbox on computers or phones. But one suspects not.