A huge and historically significant family in the Geraldton area gather to celebrate Maddington parishioner Arthur’s 90th birthday.
By Anthony Barich
Forty-one years ago, this photograph showing Arthur and Anne Olsen with 14 of their 16 children, including newborn and last child, Paul, at St Anne’s hospital Mt Lawley, appeared in the Perth Daily News.
The colour photo below, in a similar pose, was taken at Arthur’s 90th birthday party recently when over 100 family members, relatives and friends helped him celebrate the occasion in great style.
Arthur Olsen celebrated his 90th birthday with a magnificent Sunday luncheon party on August 29 at which over a hundred guests thoroughly enjoyed themselves well into the afternoon.
Arthur (pictured at far left in both photos) was ably accompanied by his charming wife Anne (seated at front right below) who says she still has ‘a few years to go yet’ before reaching the same milestone.
Fourteen children, seven daughters and seven sons – all attended the party along with their own children, some of whom brought along their own ‘next generation contributions’ as well.
Also attending were Arthur’s brothers Vic and Keith, his sister Irene and Anne’s sisters Veronica and Norah. Family members and relatives made up 103 of the 120 guests whose ages ranged from 6 month old great-granddaughter Holly, to 92-year-old sister Irene. Others attending were mostly friends from the couple’s Holy Family Parish in Maddington.
The sumptuous party was held at the stylish Gosnell’s Agonis Function Centre. It was superbly organised, decorated and arranged by Arthur’s daughters – with a little help from several sons and various others on the day – and competently directed by most senior sibling, Maureen (seated front left in bottom photo).
Second eldest son John was MC of the event and had the audience in fits of laughter by recounting some of the hilarious events about the old days and what his Dad got up to. He also very successfully introduced the entire family groups present to each other – no mean feat when the family numbers exceeded 100.
Arthur’s speech traversed his life. He thanked all for coming to help him celebrate and acknowledged the great contribution God and his Catholic family makes to his fulfilling and contented life. He signed off by saying he looked forward to seeing them all together again ten years down the track.
Perhaps the major highlight of the event was a spectacular slide and sound show created by granddaughter Janice, who herself is proud mum of two of Arthur and Anne’s 12 great-grandchildren.
Th presentation displayed hundreds of photographs of Arthur and his family over the years on the big screen, set to music and descriptive text, and rightly earned great applause and frequent laughter from those present.
The gigantic birthday cake was exquisitely baked and decorated by second youngest daughter, Catherine, and followed the overall party theme of horse racing. Mr Olsen was a jockey in his younger days and has never lost his love of the sport.
The birthday boy is enjoying exceptionally good health and he puts this down to healthy living and always having plenty of things on his ‘to do’ list.
One of the famous Rats of Tobruk, he spent most of his post war working years as a painting contractor in WA. Later in life he took an interest in carpentry and has created some truly beautiful pieces which he enjoys giving to his children. Even these days he’ll still grab a brush and can of paint every now and then whenever something at their lovely Maddington home could use ‘a bit of a lick of paint’.
He and Anne manage to look after themselves very ably and, not surprisingly, don’t find it too difficult to get help from some of their 14 children whenever an extra hand is needed.