The couple celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary surrounded by family at a small gathering in Clyde last month.
In 1963 a cricketing friend of Mr Barrie planned for the couple to bump into each other during a blind date at a nursing ball in Christchurch.
Mrs Barrie was a nursing student at the time.
Mr Barrie was a teacher in Woodend and would end up moving to Riverton while Mrs Barrie completed her training.
Before that, the couple kept in touch and Mr Barrie frequently visited her in Christchurch when race meetings were scheduled.
On August 21, 1965 the couple married in a ceremony at St Mary’s Church in Merivale.
Mr Barrie joked the lads were not too happy as the ceremony overlapped with a rugby test.
After Mrs Barrie completed her training the pair moved to Riverton for five years.
Two of their three children, Andrew and Rebecca, were born there.
The couple then moved to Gibbston where Mr Barrie took up a job as headmaster and sole teacher of the school in 1971 until the school closed.
During that time their third child, Michael was born.
The family moved to Clyde so the children could attend Dunstan High School.
Now living in Cromwell and looking back over their 60 years of marriage, Mr Barrie joked the secret to their good marriage was playing a lot of cricket.
"I think I’m his first love, I’m sure of it, but cricket was a very close second," Mrs Barrie said.
