The notice is short and sweet, reading: "The engagement notice is announced between Margaret, daughter of Mr and Mrs H. B. McLay 'Stonylea' No.8 RD, Ashburton, and Donald, son of Mr and Mrs J. H. McCaw, 'Windsor Downs', Hakataramea."
It was in a line-up of at least 10 other engagement notices, in an old copy of The Press from Saturday, April 28, 1979.
Dr Tallon, a Methven GP, wrote on Facebook that she was renovating when she discovered the newspaper gem under the kitchen lino. She thought it was Richie McCaw's parents and decided to share it.
"I didn't spot it actually, my partner did. We've been renovating a house in Methven for the past year, an old 1920s house, and when we pulled up the layers of lino in the kitchen, we found a heap of old newspapers. This one was 1979, but we found lots from the 30s as well.
"It was really cool looking at them, and we were just having a look through them and he pointed it out.
"I thought he was having me on, but he wasn't."
Her partner, Nick Ballagh, is a "born and bred" Cantabrian, from Windwhistle, and recognised the names of the star skipper's parents immediately, she said.
"I was stoked, totally stoked," she said.
She added: "My friends and work colleagues think it's pretty cool ... they're very excited by it."
Dr Tallon had been sitting on the unusual memorabilia for around a year, but rediscovered it in her home last night and decided to put it on Facebook.
There had yet to be a response from McCaw, she said, but the couple would be happy to give the newspaper to him or his parents.
"His parents are very welcome to have it," she said.
There was a rumour McCaw would be visiting Methven in a couple of weeks, she said.
"He can drop into the medical centre and have a cup of tea," she laughed, and she could give him the clipping.
"That would be ideal."
Facebook users have commented on the photo, stating their relatives were also in the line-up next to the McCaws.
Shirley Clemens said her friend's engagement notice was in the same list.
"Also the engagement of friends of mine -- Yvonne and Graeme Hibbard," she wrote.
"Wow, I love how even in print they used Straw as grandads official name ... show your dad," Kate O'Sullivan wrote, referencing the Hibbard engagement notice.
In another twist of events, the McCaws now live just an hour away from where the notice was found.
The couple moved to Christchurch after raising Richie on the family farm in Kurow, a rural service town about 65km inland from Oamaru.
