Gwenny starts University

At the start of 1986 Gwenny began her 4 year Bachelor of Teaching at the Northern Territory University (later Charles Darwin Uni).  She was 17 at the time and had completed her Matric (Year 12) at Darwin Highschool the year before.

Paul finishes school and gets his first job

At the end of 1985 Paul finished school as he really wasn't achieving anything anyway.  He had already repeated year 11 at Katherine and did not do very well.  He wasn't really a bad behaved rude student or anything - he was just a day dreamer and didn't do his work.  Although he did muck around with other students a bit.  Because he was repeating year 11 he shared some classes with his younger brother Craig.

The family visited Darwin at the end of the year and Paul decided to stay on at his Aunty Kristine's house and not go back with the family to Katherine - which broke his mother's heart!

Fortunately he quickly got a job in Casuarina Shopping Square at Proud's Jewellers as a salesperson.  They must've thought he was ok as the boss called him into the office one day and asked him if he wanted to accept the position of a trainee manager.  He recalls the other girls in the shop being pretty cheesed off at this, because although they liked Paul, they thought they were much more deserving of such an offer.  Paul has no doubt that they were 100% correct!  His boss was male and this was most likely sexual discrimination Paul reckons.  Paul remembers the girls being very professional, experienced, hard working and efficient, and him being mostly quite the opposite!

At some time Paul moved in with Uncle Geoff (his mum's twin brother) as his uncle could use someone to help out with the rent in his flat just across from the shops.

During this time his cousin Peter would come and visit him in the shop and tell him that he should go buffalo catching with him which appealed to him much more than working in a jewellers shop!

Ivan (junior) is born

ShirleyAnne pulling faces with Ivan and Monica and a friend

Ivan Maurice Thomsen (junior) was born on Monday the 17th of June, 1985.   He was the first grandchild of his grandfather of the same name who would've been aged 46 at the time although he had died 11 years earlier.

His mother ShirleyAnne, Paul and Craig's older sister, was aged 20 at the time.  Paul was aged 16 when he first became an uncle.

Paul's family moves to Katherine

Paul and his family moved to Katherine at this time when he was aged 16.  Both he and Craig weren't too happy about it at the time because they were loving their fishing and hanging out with their mates John and Graham.  But their dad had got a transfer to look after the Katherine Fire Station so we had to go!

It turned out Katherine wasn't so bad - was lovely weather in the Dry Season and where we lived on Riverbank Drive it was a short walk to lovely Hot Springs.  Paul and Craig attended Katherine High School which was a bit of a rough joint - the girls were scarier than the boys!

Paul's 16th birthday

Paul when aged around 16 perhaps

Paul typically didn't want a party or anything and took the day off school (it was a Tuesday) and caught the ferry over to Mandorah by himself and just fished for the day from the wharf.  Strange lad that Paul...

Paul thinks this was his 16th birthday but it could've been his 15th he admits.

Gwenny gets her wisdom teeth removed

Not sure on exact date but sometime when Gwenny was aged 16 she got her wisdom teeth removed.  She remembers being very uncomfortable and gagging with all sorts of padding down her throat as she was recovering.

It was fortunate for Paul that Gwenny lost a bit of her wisdom so he could talk her into marrying him when he did.

The end of Paul's BMX career

In around November 1983 Paul had his BMX bike stolen from Nightcliff High School.  He had been slack and didn't even bother locking it up!

He really hadn't been that serious about his BMX in the last few months and never really got back to his top form after breaking his arm.   When he lost his bike then it was all over.  He recalls getting driven past a place by some policemen who wanted him to see if he recognised his bike in their yard - he didn't.

Some of the highlights of his career were;

• Coming 2nd in the Centralian Championships in 1982 in Alice Springs for his age group
• Winning the Top End Titles in 2003 for his age group
• Holding the all time record for his 13 year age group and the age above it for the Wanguri Track (was never broken)
• Leading the final of the Topend Titles in 1983 just after getting his arm out of plaster, but going of the track and ending up coming 8th.
• Winning several normal 5 week rounds
• Sponsorship by Telford Topend and membership of the Kuwahura club