A Heartfelt Tribute to Love and Resilience
Amanda Keller has shared a deeply moving tribute to her husband, Harley Oliver, on their 36th wedding anniversary. In a heartfelt post, she revealed a card she had sent to Harley just before they tied the knot, which featured an image of two older people sitting side by side, fast asleep. Amanda joked at the time that they would be in that same position 40 years later.
“I sent this card to Harley just before we married, when I was away on a Beyond 2000 filming trip. I joked that we’d be sitting side by side in our dotage 40 years later. 40 years seemed like a crazy unimaginable leap. But I was keen for it all and I believed in us. Today is our 36th wedding anniversary. Not everything has been smooth sailing. Harley’s health means some days are scary, sad and confronting. But I’d still choose ‘us’ every day. Still on the ride. Still leaping and believing,” she wrote.
Harley Oliver was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2017, and in 2023, Amanda publicly shared the news about his condition. Earlier this year, she spoke about how Harley is managing his illness on the Jonesy & Amanda Show, recounting a Valentine’s Day story that resonated with listeners.
“It’s so hard as you can imagine to see the person you love not be as able as they used to be. Of course, it’s so hard,” Amanda said. “And so I’ve learned that sometimes those big events like birthdays, Valentine’s Day, anniversaries, our easy banter, our easy chat, our easy being with each other isn’t as easy.”
She then shared a touching moment where she went for a walk with their dog and came home to find a bouquet of flowers on the kitchen bench. “He obviously got someone to help him with that,” Amanda explained. “And his handwriting is so scrawly now, but there was a little card that said, ‘Please be my Valentine’s forever’. And I just thought, when we’re just talking about the effort… You know, is the effort more than the thought, any effort from him like that just means so much to me. It’s a big deal.”
Fans and friends have rallied around Amanda after her emotional anniversary post for her husband. Former The Living Room co-host Miguel Maestre commented, “My beautiful Amanda. Feliz aniversario. Love to Harley, love that card. Love always best ingredient xxx.” Rebecca Gibney said, “Congratulations darling. Sending much love to you and Harley,” while Lisa Wilkinson added, “Huge love to you and Harley…your 36 years the definition of true love xx.”
Leigh Sales also chimed in, writing, “Love you both – give H a smooch from me x,” with Deborah Hutton saying, “Huge hugs and love to you…a life lived with your true soul mate. Beautiful.”
Last year, Amanda shared that Harley hadn’t been well enough to celebrate their 35th wedding anniversary. “I’m grateful today that here we are, 35 years and we’re still in it together. But it’s hard. I never think of the what-ifs because I think that’s just where madness lies,” she said on her radio show. “But it’s not the same as the old days where we’d be going out to dinner tonight. But the boys are coming over for dinner. And I’m grateful that we still have each other. But it is that thing, isn’t it? On your wedding day where you think no one knows what ride you’re in for? None of us do. As Harley himself says, we all have an asteroid coming at us. We don’t know what it is.”
Celebrating 25 Years of Motherhood
Earlier this week, Amanda celebrated her eldest son Liam turning 25. On the Jonesy and Amanda Show, the team shared a touching tribute to the Aussie star’s journey to motherhood, which left many in tears. On Instagram, Amanda posted a carousel of Liam throughout the years, sharing a heartfelt message.
“Happy birthday to Liam – 25 today. After years of IVF, it was a miracle to hold you in my arms. We’ve loved every minute of being your parents. The baby, the toddler, the schoolboy and now the man. We are so proud of you. X,” she wrote.
Amanda has openly spoken about her fertility struggles, detailing the challenges in her memoir, Natural Born Keller, back in 2015. She underwent fertility treatments for years before finally falling pregnant with Liam, and later with her youngest son, Jack, who is now 23.
“One hung in there and finally, after so many sad visits to the ultrasound unit, our lives changed tack in the best possible way,” she wrote. “We detected a heartbeat. A tiny flashing speck amidst a sea of what looked like submarine signals. Evidence, finally, that there was something there.”
