Background
Born in Collingwood, Nilsen was educated at Rathdowne Street State School, Carlton and the Working Men's College. On 4 September 1907 Nilsen married Ethel Margaret Williams at the Fitzroy Presbyterian Church. In 1916 he established Oliver J. Nilsen & Co. (later Oliver J. Nilsen (Australia) Ltd), an electrical business, which moved to 45 Bourke Street in 1924.
In later life he lived in Kooyong Road, Caulfield, Victoria; and every Christmas he would decorate an enormous tree on his front lawn with electric lights, long before it became the fashion to do so.
Read more about this topic: Oliver John Nilsen
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