100 Years of Ipswich History Personified

When Olga Engler, who turned 100 on June 17, was born at Ipswich in 1916, the first phone and telegraph were installed at Peaks Crossing and there was no public electricity supply.

Olga remembers it took hours to get to Ipswich in a horse drawn buggy from her father’s farm at Mutdapilly.

“We used to go shopping in Ipswich once a month,” she said. “I was young so it felt like it took nine hours but I think I have exaggerated this in my mind.”  

It seems fitting that the life-long Ipswich resident lives at Carinity Aged Care - Colthup which features a historic homestead part of the Ipswich City Council’s Heritage Program.

She moved back into Ipswich when she was fifteen and worked in hospitality. Olga married Max Engler in 1948 yet she was convinced for a while she wouldn’t be married.

“During the war there wasn’t a lot of men around,” she said.

Olga’s eldest daughter Joyce Pampling said finding Olga’s friends for her 100th birthday was a challenge.

“I spent months trying to track down our old baker. Back in those days we got the bread delivered and mum struck up a relationship with the baker and his wife.”

“She started making the baker tea and even if she wasn’t at home would set it up so he could have a cup of tea when he made his delivery. On Friday’s he would come out with his wife and she’d have lunch made for them.”

“Recently I found them and they joined in our family party,” she said.

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