Jan and John McLaughlin celebrate 50 years of marriage

John McLaughlin read out the “apologies’’ from those who didn’t attend his and wife Jan’s 50th wedding anniversary celebration at Macquarie Links on Saturday night.

But this was typical John McLaughlin – Campbelltown Labor man through and through, even on his golden wedding anniversary bash.

No surprise to hear him read out Malcolm and Lucy Turnbull had sent their apologies because “they are having problems moving into the Lodge and trying to squeeze Lucy’s arts collections and the Elgin Marbles’ in such a small cottage’’.

And as a Carlton man in the AFL, he took aim at the usual suspects, from Collingwood to Kevin  Sheedy.

But these lighthearted comments aside, John McLaughlin lit up the room when he declared his love for Jan after 50 years of marriage and how he had “won the lottery of life’’ when she agreed to marry him on January 15, 1966 at the Catholic Church of St Jerome at Punchbowl.

The celebration of that milestone on Saturday night was held in the clubhouse of the suburb they now call home, Macquarie Links Estate.

Peter Icklow and Monarch Investments may have built the homes and the wonderful golf course, but none of it would have been possible without the involvement of John McLaughlin.

I spotted former Campbelltown mayor, Meg Oates, who was sitting at my table, nod her head when this was pointed out by one of the speakers.

John McLaughlin was one of the founders of Campbelltown’s great AFL club and after helping Peter Icklow at Macquarie Links, Monarch returned the favour  by becoming major sponsor for the next 20 years.

During this period the club was known as the Monarch Blues.

“They poured a million dollars into our footy team, a wonderful effort,’’ Mr McLaughlin said in his speech.

Present for the occasion were Jan and John’s four children, the three boys, Rod, Jamie and Matthew and the “baby’’ of the family, Amanda.

All four spoke eloquently about their wonderful parents and of John steering the McLaughlin ship but how Jan was always the real backbone of the family, the glue that held it all together.

The four children have also produced eight grandchildren  for Jan and John, who are both extremely proud of their entire family.

Some of the guests to the celebration came from interstate as well as parts of NSW.

Also present on Saturday night were some of the people who attended John and Jan McLaughlin’s wedding 50 years ago, so it was also a reunion for some of them.