Carnarvon couple who married, split then married again . . . 51 years later

Edward Garrett reckons he and his “old” and “new” wife Heather are great advertisements for second time around — either that, or they are slow learners. The couple tied the knot in Carnarvon recently — 51 years to the day after they married the first time. Mr Garrett married Heather Alexander in Sydney on January 18, 1969, while he was serving in the navy. In 1970, they moved to Carnarvon, where Ed was engaged to work at the NASA Tracking Station. Two years later, Heather returned to the Eastern States to have their child, Matthew. However, because of “circumstances and interference from both sides of the family”, they did not get back together. She was in Grafton; he in Carnarvon. Heather divorced Ed and remarried, having two more boys. Ed married a woman who had three sons. Heather divorced her second husband in 1990 and Ed’s wife died in 2012. Last July, Ed received a text message, which read: “Congratulations on the 50th anniversary of the moon landing, lots of fond memories. Love to talk, but I will understand if you don’t want to.” Guess who was the sender? Ed rang Heather the night he received the text and in early August flew to Grafton. The reunion was as if there had not been a day between them, let alone 47 years. So becoming husband and wife again seemed natural. And what better place to exchange vows than on the lawns of Carnarvon Space and Technology Museum? “This was the most fitting place to be remarried, as it was the space and the moon which brought us to Carnarvon, and it was the moon which brought us back together again,” Mr Garrett said. “It was lovely to get married in front of family and friends. You should have seen the smiles on the faces of our grandchildren, Angus and Harriet.” Asked if there may be a third time, Mr Garrett said “there will be no need for it”. “We won’t be separated again,” he added.