Admirers Celebrate Wally’s 90^th Birthday

The extended Dowley Family gathers to honor the Patriarch

It was a cracking good party at the Melbourne Savage Club on Saturday night, July 17, as a hundred or so adoring fans of Pearse Walter Dowley, better known as Wally, gathered to honor the family Patriarch on his 90^th birthday.

Wally, who occasionally introduces me to people with the explanation, “Bill is the grandfather of my great-granddaughter,” is, of course, the original Australian Dowley (having immigrated here in 1962 from England with wife Kitty and children Pat, Sally, Jenny and Charlie). Since then he has watched his progeny grow to a cast of thousands, many of whom showed up for the gala celebration along with a host of dear old Savages with whom Wally now and then shares a wee bit of 12-year-old single-malt scotch whiskey, some good food and a few glasses of fine wine with friends at No. 12 Bank Place, Melbourne. (Wally does appreciate the finer things of life, and sometimes allows that he’s “a committed socialist in everything but money.”)

The evening featured musical performances and poetry readings by a few of the many talented Savages, a fair bit of grog, delicious filet steaks, a few speeches and the reading of one of Wally’s wartime poems from his Army campaigns, which brought tears to more than just a few eyes.

Among those who flew all the way from the U.K. to fete him was the Great Man’s 84-year-old brother, Buster, who charmed everybody he met with his grace, wit and bear-trap mind. Individually, Wally and Buster are a delight to be with. You can only imagine what they are like together. Wally and Buster later winged off to New Zealand to visit with brother Jim. It is said that it was the first time since 1939, when the three Dowley boys went off to war, that they were all together at once. To top it off, Wally and Buster’s birthdays were only a day apart—all the more reason to celebrate with joy.

(It’s been pointed out to me by one keen observer of this web site that Wally’s younger brother’s nickname actually is “Basta” and not “Buster,” even though a number of people here and in England apparently use the familiar nickname “Buster.” The story goes that after having three boys in a row, baby David Dowley’s exasperated father exclaimed “Basta!” (“enough!” in Italian) and the name stuck. But I’m sticking with Buster because that’s what I called him throughout his visit here, and he never corrected me. Besides, this is my web site and I can do what I want).

On Sunday after the Savage party, a number of family members gathered in Hampton to celebrate a bit more and prolong the joy of being with these delightful Dowley boys who faced down more than a small amount of adversity together when life wasn’t so good and then eventually ended up as happy, wise, optimistic and, above all, very funny old blokes. Many happy returns to them!

Following are some photos of the Savage Club party and the morning-after party at Sally and Geoff’s house. The quality pictures were taken by Geoff. The rest were taken by Bill.