A CARRUM resident of more than 90 years celebrated her 100th birthday last week.
Olive Cox turned 100 years old on 17 August. She has lived in the Carrum and Patterson Lakes area for 97 of them.
Ms Cox said that she has seen a lot of major milestones in her life. “Man walking on the moon was remarkable, but I laugh when I think that historic event happened at the halfway point in my life. I think of the recent local major changes. Trains travelling on rails up on pylons and finally even a bridge on Station Street crossing the Patterson River,” she said.
As a young girl, Ms Cox attended Carrum State School before moving on to Frankston High School. Her first permanent job was with a patent and trademark attorney. Things changed for Ms Cox after the outbreak of the Second World War. She enlisted with the WAAAF in 1942, where she worked as a teleprinter operator.
After the end of the war, Ms Cox started her family. She married her husband, Daryl, in 1953. She went on to have three children – Peter, Helen, and Meredith.
Ms Cox takes great joy from sport. As a player she excelled at tennis. As a spectator she supports her beloved Melbourne Demons.
Ms Cox has a family history with the Carrum Bowling Club. Her grandfather, James Albon, was one of the club’s founding members. He helped to open the building alongside Prime Minister Stanley Bruce in 1923. A 100th birthday celebration was planned for the restaurant above the bowls club, but COVID-19 put a stop to the festivities.
After 100 years of action, Ms Cox is now living in a retirement village. There she looks forward to visits from her children. “Such joyful days, full of happiness and laughter. I never know what’s going to happen next,” she said. “Well, I can tell you one thing when they visit. They go straight to my handbag, collect my Visa card and ask me where are we going for lunch today. I wouldn’t have it any other way!”
First published in the Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News – 25 August 2021