Mr Hinton (82) and Mrs Hinton (79) will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary with an afternoon tea at the Alexandra RSA this afternoon.
The couple married at their home in Earnscleugh on July 11, 1951, the day after Ken's father died.
"The minister that was to marry us came down from Christchurch [where the couple meant to marry] to bury Ken's father, and so we just got married the next day," Mrs Hinton said.
Mr Hinton said his father had an orchard in Earnscleugh which supplied the family's jam factory.
He left school to work at the orchard because his three brothers were overseas, serving in World War 2.
It was in the orchard that he met and fell in love with his future bride, Marge.
Mrs Hinton came up from Longwood, between Colac Bay and Riverton, to pick and pack fruit at the orchard.
They had four children - three boys and one girl. They now have 11 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
They lived in Earnscleugh from the time they got married until this April, when they were farewelled from the district by more than 60 people at an afternoon tea at the Earnscleugh Hall.
The move to Alexandra was to be closer to their daughter and grandchildren.
"But also because the garden was too big. It was getting away on me a bit," Mr Hinton said.
The Hintons are well-known for their garden and gardening knowledge in Earnscleugh.
Mr Hinton's flowers were frequent prize winners at A and P shows.
"I won the most points in the spring show for 30 years."
When asked the secret to a long marriage, they both laughed.
"Hard work," she said.
"Looking after each other," he said.
