100th birthday celebrations for Wynne King

A milestone birthday event of local interest was celebrated by family and friends of well known former Narrabri resident Wynne King on Saturday.

Mrs King celebrated her 100th birthday at a special party at Killara Golf Club.

Mrs King’s children, son Tony and daughter Janet Dixon-Hughes and their partners joined grandchildren, great-grandchildren, extended family and friends for the celebration.

It was an enjoyable occasion and an opportunity to reflect on Mrs King’s 100 years of achievements and fulfilling family life.

Following speeches from Tony and Janet, Mrs King noted in her response that she is looking forward to years ahead.

Winifred Grace King was born at Moree on August 3, 1924, the eighth and youngest child of Tom and Mary Ann O’Gorman.

Tom O’Gorman was a career officer of the Post Master General’s Department (PMG) and had many postings around the state.

Mr O’Gorman’s first posting to Narrabri was in 1910, memorable for the big flood of that year.

At the time of Wynne’s birth he was the Postmaster at Garah.

The family’s next move was to Sutherland for about a year before Mr O’Gorman was sent back to the North West as Postmaster at Narrabri in 1931.

Wynne undertook her primary education at St Francis Xavier’s School until 1937.

Her father died that year and Mary Ann and her younger daughters moved to Newcastle.

Wynne attended Newcastle Girls’ High School, her final year of secretarial studies giving her the useful skills of bookkeeping and typing.

When Wynne was 16 the family moved back to Narrabri in 1940.

Here Wynne met the young Alan King, an apprenticed watchmaker working in his father’s jewellery and optometry business.

Romance was galvanised by Alan’s departure to Sydney for a brief period working for Amalgamated Wireless Australia (AWA) before enlisting in the RAAF in 1943.

Mary Ann returned to Narrabri with Wynne, Sheila and Ethel (‘Peg’) as a couple of the older girls had remained in Narrabri working at the telephone exchange and brother Tom was still at Teacher’s College – playing football with the Narrabri Rugby League Club when ‘home’ from college.

Mrs King and her late husband Alan made a successful life and business career in Narrabri.

They were well-known Narrabri residents and leaders in the business community as proprietors of Kings Jewellers and Elizabeth Artwares in Narrabri and subsequently Elizabeth Artwares in Tamworth for many years, moving there in 1977.

The couple were innovative business people, great advocates of the town and closely involved in Rotary, the Chamber of Commerce and tourism promotion among other community activities.

Mrs King is a vibrant personality, and was an active community member in many organisations including Narrabri Inner Wheel, making many friends during her life in the district.

After selling Elizabeth Artwares in Tamworth, Wynne and Alan moved to Narrabeen in retirement.

Mrs King is nowadays a resident at Turramurra Nursing Home, 34 Carugal Road, Turramurra.