Her birthday fell on the second day of the Gunnedah Show weekend for the second time in 39 years.

“When I was 21, it was show day and I reckon it’s a joke because it was show day when I was 80,” Delores said.

Saturday was a busy day for Delores and her husband Peter, with their five children coming to visit, along with two grandchildren, two siblings and two sister-in-laws. Plenty of friends dropped by as well.

“Drop-in day, we called it,” she said.

“There were up to 100 people. It was lovely.”

Delores was both surprised and amused when her daughters Louise Asfoura, Alison Moody, Sally Jackson and Jane Worthington, and her granddaughter Charlotte put on some of her old dresses and exhibited them in the loungeroom.

The 80-year-old’s cake was a miniature montage of photos from her life illustrated in icing.

Delores was born on April 14, 1938 to Leslie and Helen Foster. She was an older sister to Doug who born in 1942, and Alan who was born in 1947. 

Her father was a “jack of all trades”, running a butchers shop with his brother in Tambar Springs before Delores was born, and doing farm work, labouring and seasonal shearing. Helen was a “stay-at-home mum” and a “great supporter” of Tambar Springs Public School, the CWA and bush-nursing, often through fundraising.

Delores grew up in Tambar Springs and attended the primary school. She enjoyed sewing, tennis and bike riding during her childhood years.

“We had a tennis court near our house,” she said.

“It was quite a big thing – we had a lot of teams. My dad was in a team.”

Living without electricity saw Delores turn her hand to sewing, using a treadle machine, which was powered by a foot pedal.

Dances were another common affair and were much enjoyed.

“As young as we were, we went to dances,” Delores said.

“There were dances nearly every weekend.”

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After she completed primary school, Delores started attending St Mary’s College in Gunnedah. She left St Mary’s in 1953 and participated in the Catholic debutante ball in 1954 at the age of 16. Her partner was a Tambar boy, Gordon Bayley, who attended Gunnedah High School with Delores’ husband Peter.

“Peter was a partner at the same ball but I didn’t know him back then,” she said.

Delores started boarding with Gordon Bayley’s grandma in Gunnedah when she got a job on the Gunnedah Telephone Exchange. In that same year, Delores met Peter through mutual acquaintances but it wasn’t until later that year that they started dating.

The couple got engaged in 1957 and married on January 18, 1958, with Delore’s cousin Anne Brady (nee Foster) as bridesmaid and Trevor Finlay as best man. The reception was held in what is now known as the Smithurst Theatre. 

Peter and Delores lived in various residences around Gunnedah before building their home at 2 Boundary Road in 1968, which they still reside in.

In the home, they raised six children – Louise, Mark, Alison, Andrew, Sally and Jane. The family lost Mark in 2011.

In 1974, Delores and Peter started their own business, Peter Worthington Motors, selling and servicing Subarus and Volkswagons. This kept them busy until they retired in 2008.

Delores has been active in the Gunnedah community for many years. She has been a Meals on Wheels volunteer for 40 years and a committee member of the Yallambee Homes for the Aged for 24 years.

Previously, she served as a district leader of the Girl Guides for six years and was part of the Alkira auxiliary for 18 years.

“We were instrumental in getting [Alkira] off the ground,” she said.

It’s been a special year for Delores who in January celebrated 60 years of marriage with Peter and was also received the Evelyn Wise Award for Citizen 40 years old and over at Gunnedah’s Australia Day dinner.

Reflecting on her 80 years, Delores said she is “pleased and happy”. 

“I can’t believe I’ve made it that far,” she said.

“We’ve had an interesting life.”