Indian-origin couple Guduru and Uma Rao, based in Melbourne, celebrate 60 years of marriage, marking a rare global milestone. From New Delhi to Australia, their journey is one of love, resilience, and dedicated community service.
MELBOURNE: In 2023, the Australian Institute of Family Studies reported the average marriage-to-divorce period in Australia as 13 years. Yet, behind every statistic lies the rare story of couples who defy time. Among them are Guduru (Gee) Rao and Uma Rao, an Indian-Telugu couple whose diamond jubilee this month marks 60 years of marriage—a milestone achieved by barely one to two percent of couples worldwide.
For Gee and Uma, both professionals, their journey has been one of courage, compassion, and enduring partnership—a tale threaded with the determination of migrants who built a life far from home.
Their marriage was arranged in New Delhi in 1965. Later, they embarked on a new life together in the United Kingdom with their infant daughter, then only 13 days old. What followed was a series of bold moves—first to West Germany and later to Australia—each chapter defined by hard work and adaptation. In Melbourne, Gee began his career at the Postmaster General’s Department (now Telstra), later taking up other roles, while Uma balanced work, family, and community life with poise and strength.
Uma worked at the Department of Civil Aviation where she juggled doing a Masters of Statistics at Monash University. Later she did jobs at Telstra, Vic Roads and then as the Chief Statistician for the Victoria Police.
Speaking to South Asia Times (SAT), Uma reflected on their final journey to Australia, the foundations of their lasting marriage, and the unwavering support from family and friends along the way.
Community service has also been central to their shared story. Both have been active members of the Lions Club, never hesitating to help new migrants and communities in need. With three children and five grandchildren, the Raos’ life together is a rich narrative of love, resilience, and selfless giving—an inspiring diaspora success story. Uma’s message for modern couples comes from a place of lived experience and quiet wisdom.
Adding another heartwarming dimension to the celebrations, Gee’s brother Ranga Rao, a retired top bureaucrat from the Tamil Nadu cadre now living in the UK, flew in to join the jubilee festivities. Fluent in Hindi and known for his humility, Ranga fondly recounted how Gee had once left a secure government job in India, migrating abroad with just eight dollars in hand, embracing uncertainty across nations before building a life of meaning and dignity.
I left Gee, Uma, and Ranga, at their South-Eastern suburb home, with sweet memories from a human success story, hospitality with Diwali sweets and coffee, and the Rao’s incredible resilience in a world of surprises.
