Dawn Wells on the practice green at Richmond Golf Club . Believe it or not , Dawn steered this shot into the centre of the hole !

by Greg Martin

As his time in this place neared its end , Eric Wells asked his beloved wife , Dawn , to make him two promises .

The first was for her to resume playing golf , and the second was for Dawn to undergo right knee replacement surgery .

Now , this wasn ’ t requested of a spritely young bride , but of his wife of 67 years !

But promises are promises and Dawn was never going to renege on those oaths when Eric passed away on Christmas Day , 2022 .

So , she returned to playing her weekly 18 holes as a long-time member of Richmond Ladies Golf Club , and earlier this year , nigh on her 90th birthday – yes 90th birthday – Dawn underwent knee replacement surgery . “ The knee is as good as gold so don ’ t let anyone tell you that you are too old to go under the knife in an endeavour to make your life more comfortable ,” Dawn said .

This truly remarkable woman is the type of Australians scattered throughout the nation who fully deserve an Order of Australia Medal - with no thought whatsoever of receiving honours , for unstinting services to their communities .

Tell ya what , going back to the days of the backyard dunnies , I reckon Dawn would have put up her

hand to volunteer so do the , mmm , heavy lifting for her neighbours if the night carters had gone out on strike !

This never-tired nonagenarian is an absolute marvel .

She still lives in her home at Riverstone which she and Eric built in 1958 , doing the not-so-heavy housework , preparing her owns meals , tending her extensive , and might I write , bountiful and beautiful gardens . But wait , there ’ s more !

Dawn will turn 91 next March but is as sharp as a tack – compared to Trump or Biden , she ’ s a Madam Curie !

And she is still a very proud possessor of a full NSW Driver ’ s Licence !

Out on the golf course each Thursday , she delightfully plays 18-holes with her fellow club members , enjoying the comradery and “ very now and then , hitting a good shot ”.

“ I only took up golf when I was 65 when I was introduced to the game while working part-time as a ward aid at Sydney Adventist Hospital ,” Dawn explained .

“ Two of my colleagues talked me into playing a round of golf at Riverside Oaks and I caught the bug .

“ It was another 18 months before I played again after having a couple of lessons at the Rum Corps Barracks course where I

played regularly before joining the Richmond Ladies .

“ My handicap got down to 36 at one stage but it has blown out to 51 which , however , still puts me in with a chance of winning the occasional prize !”

However , the big wins in Dawn ’ s life were marrying Eric Wells and then in 1962 , the arrival of their twin son and daughter , Cathy and Christopher .

“ I was working in Bussell ’ s grocery in Windsor and Eric was a regular customer , however our relationship didn ’ t begin until we both attended a dance at Wilberforce School of Arts ,” Dawn said .

Yet another marriage to kick off by tripping the light fantastic at one of the numerous dance venues in the Hawkesbury !

“ I was 18 when our relationship began , but under strict instructions from my father , we didn ’ t marry until 1955 when I was 21 , tying the knot at Wilberforce Anglican Church .”

The couple were both hard workers throughout their years at the coalface and just three years after marrying they built their home in Riverstone where Eric was employed at Riverstone Meatworks . Hard yakka was never to be feared by Dawn Wells – she began earning a pay packet straight out of Richmond High School and