After the war

Top Photo: Olive and Harry Oakley, c. 1939.
Middle: Olive and Harry with their soldier son, Gordon.
Bottom: Olive Oakley.
All photos were taken at 115 Melbourne Street, Mulwala, the Oakley home.

After Gordon returned safely home from the War, during which time he served with the engineers and was mentioned in despatches (a military award for gallantry or otherwise commendable service), he announced his intention to marry his second cousin, Evelyn Robley. Evelyn was the youngest daughter of Ivy McCallum Robley, and her grandmother, Jessie Hughan, was the sister of Gordon's grandmother, Bertha Hughan.
Evelyn was an optometrist in Melbourne, and prior to the War she and Gordon had become very good friends. They corresponded during the time Gordon was away fighting, and realised upon his return that their feelings had deepened and became engaged.
Unfortunately, Olive was not to see her beloved son married.She died in 1948, and Gordon and Evelyn were married at St. Martin's Church, Hawksburn, on October 28, 1950.
Olive did live to see the birth of the first of her two granddaughters, however. Norman's first child was a daughter named Lesley Margaret, but known always as Margaret, and she was born on May 2, 1942, in Yarrawonga. Margaret was my mother, and as her grandmother Olive died when Marg was only five,her memories of "Grandmother Oakley" were rather sketchy.
Olive Jessie Bishop Oakley was buried in the lovely shady Mulwala Cemetery, as was her father Henry Bishop almost 30 years before.
Harry continued to live at his Melbourne Street home with Gordon, and then with both Gordon and Evelyn after their marriage. After returning from the war, Gordon and Norman became business partners as "H.G & N.M Oakley, Builders", and for the period 1945 to 1979 they built many houses and public buildings in the Yarrawonga district.
Harry Oakley had retired from work and travelling in 1941, at the age of 76 years.He occupied himself with racing dogs in both open and closed coursing, and there are several photos of Oakley racing dogs in our collection.
In his later years Harry suffered from arthritis in his legs, but he lived to be 90 years old. In a local newspaper article, Harry attributed his long life to the years he spent out of doors, combined with his being a moderate drinker and smoker and living and keeping to a regular life.
harry Oakley died on June 26, 1953, at Mulwala, NSW, and joined his wife Olive in the Mulwala cemetery.