Olive Riley
Today Baino mentioned that Olive Riley reputed to be the world’s oldest internet blogger, has died at the age of 108. She was born in the town of Broken Hill on 20 October 1899. Since she began her blog in February 2007, Olive posted more than 70 entries about her life.
Rest In Peace Olive.
May your efforts give encouragement to others out there, to give it a go and join in the fun.
It made me think…. 108 years of age…
At one post a day I have at least another 17,155 posts to write 
Do you think you could put up with me for that long?
Ian said,
July 14, 2008 at 7:33 pm
Just imagine what the technology will be like by then. You will be able to think your posts and your 3D virtual self will be able to read them all around the web.
Grannymar said,
July 14, 2008 at 8:05 pm
Welcome home Ian.
I am 47 years younger than Olive, and when you think of the changes that have taken place in that time and particularly in the last 20 years… Your suggestion seems quite plausable.
Baino said,
July 14, 2008 at 9:35 pm
I was sorry to have discovered her blog so late, she was a pretty amazing old lady. Think of the things she saw in her lifetime! Although I dont think I’d like to live that long.
Betty said,
July 14, 2008 at 9:43 pm
I hope you’re still blogging at 108 years. And, I hope I’m still around to read it. Wasn’t she amazing? And, funny?
Grannymar said,
July 14, 2008 at 9:46 pm
@Baino - Jack had an aunt and surrogate mother, who was born in 1894. She died in 1997 almost a year before Jack. She told wonderful tales of her early life as a housekeeper to a brewing Family in the north east of England. She told me they used sand for cleaning saucepans…. that was long before the days of non-stick!
@Betty - I’ll keep going as long as I can, mind you the thought of living alone for another 47 years
is not something to relish!
Alice said,
July 15, 2008 at 3:08 am
I hope you’re still going strong at 108 too Grannymar. As for myself I’m not so sure, but on the other hand there’d be few if anybody around who knows the facts about everything you went through. It would be great for embellishing and fabricating and having a great time story telling, wouldn’t it? Another thing, ever since you posted all those photographs and the comments on them I’ve been taking pictures in some of the weirdest places and at the weirdest angles. I really do try to look at things in different ways now.
steph said,
July 15, 2008 at 8:46 am
“Do you think you could put up with me for that long?”
17,155 more posts
Ooh! Yes, please!
RIP Olive. She’s a hard act to follow!
Grannymar said,
July 15, 2008 at 10:05 am
@Alice - At times my Gran nieces think I come from a different planet. Mind you some of the science fiction we read about as youngsters has become part of every day living. As a 6 or 7 year old running down the stairs to answer the lead weight telephone, little did I think I would walk around with a phone in my pocket that weighed mere ozs.
Keep going with the photography.
@Steph - I’ll do my best so long as Elly doesn’t tilt the perch!
TheChrisD said,
July 15, 2008 at 1:10 pm
17k more posts? Better get a move on GM
Also, sad to see a fellow blogger pass on. Not that I knew of her or her blog, but still sad
Grannymar said,
July 15, 2008 at 1:16 pm
ChrisD
Go easy on me… I need to eat , sleep and chase T….. pant! pant!
Olive proved it is never to late to start blogging.
Darragh said,
July 15, 2008 at 1:18 pm
A post about Olive was actually one of my first ones way back in February of last year. I had irregular correspondence from her helper Mike and I was sorry last night to hear she had passed. God rest her.
As for yourself, I doubt you’ll be blogging when you’re 108. At the rate you’re going, you’ll have pulitzer prize winning photos, be starring in Toyboy movies, have your own TV show and a few award winning bestsellers under your oxter. Elly will probably have to blog for you!
Grannymar said,
July 15, 2008 at 1:31 pm
Darragh
‘Elly blogging for me’ no way, when I reach 108 there will be a string of Toyboys doing the blogging for me!
Well I might as well dream here as in bed!
Magpie11 said,
July 15, 2008 at 7:45 pm
I heard the news on the Radio and wondered if you had come across her..I hadn’t.
Apparently the new oldest Blogger is 97 or so.
As for blogging to 108…I doubt I’ll be able to even if I do get started…my memory is prone to senior moments (or brain f**t* as an American colleague puts it) already.
To think that there were no such things as artificial satellites when I was a kid..let alone communications satellites.
No MRSA either come to think….
Grannymar said,
July 15, 2008 at 8:10 pm
Magpie
Some of the changes are for the good. I would find life boring without the internet and Blogging of course!
Paddyanglican said,
July 15, 2008 at 8:26 pm
Go on Grannymar - Blog till you drop
And if and when you do there is always the next incarnation - Grannymar from Beyond?
Grannymar said,
July 15, 2008 at 8:32 pm
Paddy A
In the next incarnation there might be some RedHot blogging
Paddyanglican said,
July 15, 2008 at 9:29 pm
As Billy Joel sang: “Rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the Saints” - Unless of course it was “All Saints” and then I would be happy to cry on their………bbb shoulders!
Dardardrinks said,
July 17, 2008 at 3:07 pm
17,155 more posts…. I expect more than that. I suppose its not a bad starting goal though.
Grannymar said,
July 17, 2008 at 3:15 pm
DD
I am taking it one post at a time for now!
mike rubbo said,
July 27, 2008 at 11:53 am
Hi Grannymar, thanks for paying tribute to our dear Ollie.
She was irresistable, I can attest to that, having spent may hundreds of hours with her, recording her, filming her, and just hanging out.
There is a big hole in my life now.
You know, I thought she’d make 110.
When we were shooting her movie, (All about Olive) in Broken Hill in 2004, I saw one day, some newly planed olive trees.
I asked the guy watering them when they’d bear fruit and he guessed in 2010.
“Ollie,” I cried, we gotta come back for that, those first olive’s should be tasted by you!”
Alas it was not to be. Sadly too the interest she’d begun to take in the huge wind farm to be built near her beloved Broken Hill, wont come to anything either.
I thought it was the ultimately amazing thing that here, she was, 108, and she’s worried about global warming and whether wind can be part of the solution.
“You’ve got have her on the payroll,” I told the folks at Epuron, the company building the wind farm, and I think they were almost convinced I was right.
Mike her helper
Grannymar said,
July 27, 2008 at 1:04 pm
A very warm welcome to mike rubbo !
Thank you for your comment and a little more background to that wonderful Lady that was Olive Riley.
All those hours are sure to have given you plenty of special memories and perhaps in time will become the basis of a book.
You are welcome to join in the fun here and comment whenever you feel like it.
I hope when my time comes to cock my toes, that I will be remembered as warmly as you do Olive.