The 21st – the Ryburn twins were cutting a cake in 1956.
Five generations of the Ryburn family gathered at the Te Awamutu Bowling Club for a double celebration earlier this month.
Colin, left, and Bryan Ryburn at their 90th birthday celebration.
Surrounded by about 80 family members, twin brothers Bryan and Colin celebrated their 90th birthdays along with their wives Barbara and Pam.
Both have four children, many grandchildren, great grandchildren and Bryan has great-great grandchildren who also attended.
Bryan has a daughter and three sons, while Colin has two of each.
The pair were born on December 6, 1935, in Pōkeno to Cyril and Edna, while visiting Cyril’s cousin. Cyril and Edna did not know twins were on the way.
After Colin arrived, the midwife announced, “you’ve got a boy, and the other one is coming”.
The brothers didn’t have any other siblings and grew up on the family farm at Ryburn Rd, Pāterangi. They’ve lived in the Te Awamutu area their entire lives.
The road is named after their family and they were the fourth generation living there after immigrating from Scotland.
“Ryburns were one of the first settlers in Pāterangi,” Bryan said.
“We rode horses to Pāterangi School. When we were in our early stages there were no tractors. It was all horse and carts.”
Farm machinery and tractors are some of the most noticeable changes from what they first had or saw.
The boys went on to attend Te Awamutu College.
After leaving school, Bryan continued to run the family farm.
“We had a jersey stud called The Oaks because along the farm frontage on Ryburn Rd there was a big row of oak trees,” Bryan said.
Colin had other ideas, becoming involved in the building industry and house removal.
“I didn’t retire until I was 75 – too young to retire.”
Way back when – the twins when they were youngsters.
Colin moved the original cottage they grew up in, to his section in Pāpāmoa.
Bryan sold the family farm in 1977 and moved into town.
“I ended up working at J. Jones, where PGG Wrightson is now on Market St,” Bryan said.
“I worked there until I retired.”
In their spare time, the pair had very different hobbies.
Colin enjoyed working and painting from time to time with one of his sons.
Bryan has been an avid sportsman.
“Colin wasn’t really into the sports, but I was into just about everything. Tennis, rugby, golf, bowls,” Bryan said.
“I seem to manage playing bowls all right. I can still bend down to pick them up.
“It gives you something to do. If you play four games, all day long, you do a few miles. It’s just about equal to a round of golf.”
They’ve both enjoyed occasionally travelling overseas, but Te Awamutu has always been home.
A lot of their mates aren’t around anymore but they still have each other.
The twins don’t really have a secret to their longevity but say they have had a good life. Looking back, neither of them would do anything differently.
The 21st – the twins were cutting a cake in 1956.
