Community & Business
22 May, 2026
Former Acland couple celebrates 70 Years together
Carole and George Wieck celebrated 70 years of marriage with their family and friends at McLean Care CWA House last week on Tuesday, May 12th.
Carole Jean Walker and Douglas Roy (but known as George) Wieck were married on 14 May 1956 at St. Stephen’s Presbyterian (now Uniting) Church, Toowoomba, with Lynton Walker as Best Man and Marlene Ward as Bridesmaid.
Following their wedding they began their life together on the property “Hyde Park” at Muldu, where they raised their three children - Geoffrey, Christine and Stephen.
In the early years, Carole cultivated a large vegetable garden to help feed their growing family, while George went about establishing his earthmoving business.
Much of his work required him to camp away from home in an old bus fitted with only basic comforts.
The family home was powered by a 32-volt lighting plant, which had to be started each evening before they could settle in to watch Bellbird on the ABC.
As the three children grew older, Carole returned to work, taking up a job as a pay clerk at Oakey abattoir from December 1970.
Geoffrey and Christine attended high school in Oakey, while Stephen was still at primary school.
Family weekends were centred around family, community, and faith – washing on Saturdays, country dances on Saturday nights, and church on Sundays at Acland Presbyterian Church where Carole played the organ and taught Sunday School.
Eventually, Carole and George moved from the farm house into Acland where George transported a pre-loved relocatable home on his float and placed it on a large block opposite Acland State School.
Carole believed this would be their forever home, and together they expanded their home with a large extension at the rear.
They installed a bore to water the extensive gardens they lovingly created, with George regularly bringing home manure and hay to enrich the soil.
It was an ironic twist for the Wieck children to see their parents living next to the school, as they had spent years riding their bicycles from Muldu to catch the school bus.
Circumstances beyond their control eventually led Carole and George to relocate to Oakey, where the family home remains today.
George continued to travel wherever his dozer work took him, lunchbox in hand, always returning home in the evening to a hot meal.
In recent years, advancing age and the surrender of his driver’s licence brought an end to those daily journeys.
Carole kept herself busy with her love of drawing, Bible Study classes, and playing the organ at church.
George, never one to sit idle, moved his D4 dozer into the backyard and completely cleared the block.
He now has pumpkins growing and dreams of starting an orchard - two mulberry trees have been planted, an orange tree awaits its place in the garden and George is searching for a persimmon tree.
Carole is now being cared for at McLean Care as managing at home became too difficult, and George misses her dearly.
After 70 years together, their story is a beautiful testament to the virtues of patience, devotion, and enduring love, as they continue to make the most of the precious time they share.
Information compiled by Christine Putland on behalf of the Wieck family, and typed by Joanne Evans.
