Our Love Story

Told by Con Billias:

”It was 1973 and I’d gone to the Nightcliff Swimming Pool with my best mate.

Truth be told, an old family friend mentioned that she wanted me to meet someone who was up visiting from Melbourne, and they’d be at the pool that Sunday.

I said to my mate, ‘let’s go .. it will be a laugh’.

Sitting near the pool edge, I looked over and saw her as she walked in.
The second my eyes met hers I leant over to my mate and said: ‘I’m going to marry that girl one day’.

Irene was 19 and living in Melbourne with her parents and siblings so I wasn’t really sure what would happen long term.

 But once we started chatting we clicked and I ended up taking her out to dinner later in the week.

 I think she made the decision pretty early on that she wasn’t going back to Melbourne!

 Well she did .. but to pack up her life and move back to Darwin with me!

 Her parents were definitely wary but they came up and met me and I won them over :)

We will be married 49 years this November and have two kids and 4 grandkids.

Con and Irene met over 50 years ago at Nightcliff Swimming Pool.