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Geoff Thrum went to the Shepparton Railway Institute Hall one Thursday night in 1950 for dancing lessons.

The then apprentice builder never imagined his eventual wife Margaret would teach him to dance.

Geoff, 83, and Margaret, 79, married at Scots’ Church in Shepparton 60 years ago on Thursday last week.

‘‘He used to think he was the better dancer,’’ Mrs Thrum joked.

‘‘He wasn’t a bad dancer, even though we were mucking around a bit.’’

Mr Thrum was born in Kyneton as one of two sons and three daughters Guildford and Ivy Thrum raised.

Private Guildford Henry Thrum served in the Australian Imperial Force’s 38th Battalion during World War I.

Mrs Thrum was born in Shepparton as one of two daughters Thomas and Rita Roberts raised.

Mr Thrum moved to Shepparton while an apprentice for a Cheltenham company and helped build the first Mooroopna commission houses in 1945.

He built a house on Newlyn St in Shepparton after marrying Mrs Thrum.

‘‘I only came to Shepparton with the bus fare in my pocket,’’ Mr Thrum said.

‘‘I don’t know how I built a house at 21.’’

Mr and Mrs Thrum raised four sons — Gary (dec), Ray, 55, Alan, 53, and Gavin, 51 — and have lived on Colliver Rd since 1985.

The couple said winter caravan trips to Yeppoon, north-east of Rockhampton in Queensland, had been a highlight of their retirement.

Mrs Thrum said commitment, respect, tolerance and understanding were the keys to their 60 years of marriage.

Mr Thrum said the 1956 Melbourne Olympics became a highlight of his life after friend and professional boxer Max Carlos invited him to the athletes’ village.

Mr Carlos was born in Shepparton and won 11 of his 19 professional fights between 1957 and 1960.

He lost in the second round of the light welterweight division at the Melbourne Olympics.

‘‘I had never seen the Russians before and ... when I walked into the recreation room (at the athletes’ village) ... these Russians were white and wouldn’t even talk to me or look me in the eye,’’ he said.