A COUPLE who helped to shape Morisset will return to the town this Sunday to celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Carl and Tain Ross, who now live on the North Coast, will make the trip back to celebrate with some of the district’s most prominent families.
Guests will include members of the Mullard, Auston, Gibson, Rigby and Littlejohn clans.
Mr and Mrs Ross’s daughter, Leanda Guy, said about 50 guests were expected, but she said more were welcome to pop in at Morisset Country Club from noon to say hello.
Mrs Guy said her parents settled in Morisset in 1969, and their contribution to the district was to be significant.
Mr Ross was a police constable at Morisset for 20 years.
He served in an era when driving misbehaving youths home to face the wrath of their cranky parents was considered a proportionate and effective response to most indiscretions.
“When we were kids, we moved into the old Mullard home near the corner of Dora and Bridge streets,” Mrs Guy said.
“When people couldn’t find Dad at the police station, they’d come and knock on our door.”
The couple was involved in the fundraising committee for Morisset pool, and Mr Ross designed the gates that adorn Bernie Goodwin Memorial Reserve.
He was the recipient of the inaugural Lake Macquarie City Council ‘Citizen of the Year’ award, in 1981, and helped to build the original dressing sheds for Morisset Football Club, at Auston Oval.
Mrs Ross also helped the soccer club, hand-stitching maroon Vs onto the white playing shirts she’d made.
“Mum was a very good seamstress,” Mrs Guy said.
The couple was also heavily involved with Morisset Agricultural Show, the local speedway, and the committee that helped to create Morisset golf course.
“Mum used to play golf with Beryl Mullard up to three times a week,” Mrs Guy said.
The couple are also prolific bakers who donate Christmas cakes every year.
“They ‘scaled down’ to five days of baking this year, cooking 52 cakes. That’s about half of what they used to bake, and all are given away,” Mrs Guy said.
