A life that has taken him from wartime England to helping build some of Western Australia’s best-known landmarks was celebrated this week as Kenwick resident Robert Richard Stout marked his 90th birthday.
Robert celebrated the milestone with family and friends at the Gosnells Uniting Church Hall on Monday.
Born in Croydon, Surrey in England, Robert was just seven years old when he witnessed B-24 bombers filling the skies over Norfolk as they headed towards Normandy ahead of the D-Day landings during the Second World War.
He said he also remembers hearing V-1 flying bombs travelling towards London before the V-2 rocket attacks began. Soon afterwards, he was evacuated to Bungay in Suffolk.
In 1947, Robert migrated to Western Australia with his parents and older sister, Pat, aboard the Orion.
The family first settled in North Perth before moving to Osborne Park. They later moved to Weston Street in Maddington in 1951, and Robert has lived in the City of Gosnells ever since.
After marrying, he made his home in Kenwick.
As a teenager, Robert played soccer at Rosalie Park in Subiaco for six years before taking up judo at the age of 30 after developing osteoarthritis.
He went on to teach judo for several years at the Kenwick and Districts Youth Club in Royal Street and later served as president of the Kenwick Judo Club for 10 years.
During that time, he worked with others to secure a sprung floor for the new club rooms at what is now Gosnells PCYC. The floor helped reduce the risk of injuries for gymnasts and other users and improved the facilities for the community.
Away from the dojo, Robert spent many years playing the drums with local musicians at the Gosnells Hotel, the Narrogin Inn and community dances. More recently, he accompanied his wife while she played music during services at Gosnells Uniting Church.
His career also included work on major construction projects across the State.
One of the achievements he is most proud of was being appointed Leading Hand during the construction of the West Australian Institute of Technology, now Curtin University, in the early 1960s.
He later became General Foreman, supervising the construction of railway works and townsite structures at Koolyanobbing during the extension of the standard gauge railway between Kwinana and Kalgoorlie in 1966 and 1967.
In 1987, Robert was invested as Master of the Cannington Lodge of Freemasons.
Asked what he believes has contributed to reaching 90 years of age, Robert said: “some people just live and others …”
