Make the best of what you have, says Centenarian Heather

Reflecting on 100 years of her life is something centenarian Heather says isn’t an easy task.

"I have to think about it because it goes so far back. A hundred years is a long time to remember!” the Bolton Clarke Bribie Cove resident said.

Born on 10^th August 1926 in Brisbane and growing up in Greenslopes, Heather says her younger years were shaped by The Great Depression and World War II.

"Those were nasty times, but it didn't matter much because nobody had anything anyway.

"I had to leave school very early because my father had a bad heart attack.

"I left school on a Friday afternoon and started work on Monday morning. That's just the way things were then."

While the years during the war were tough, they paved the way for Heather’s unlikely love story with her late husband Fred that would be marked in history.

"My husband was a friend of my brother and at that time, I didn't like him at all.

"Gradually we got older, thought differently and became closer. He was away serving for four years.

"In the meantime, we got engaged and one day he wrote to say he was getting a week's leave and asked if we could get married during that week.

"We had only three weeks to organise everything but people rallied around us.

“My neighbour's daughter lent me her veil, others contributed bits and pieces, and somehow we pulled the wedding together.”

By Saturday 11^th August 1945, the morning of Heather and Fred’s wedding, whispers and rumours of peace had started to circulate.

"My grandfather showed me the newspaper. Across the front was the announcement that peace was to be declared - I thought that was a good omen."

Heather and Fred built their life together with their four children, running a successful bakery in Kin Kin and later returning to Brisbane.

When the pair retired, they packed their belongings and travelled Australia in a caravan, and upon their return fell in love with the Bribie Island lifestyle.

The great grandmother says she is fortunate enough to be still be quite active and independent, only moving into residential aged care at Bolton Clarke Bribie Cove last year at the age of 99.

"I still can't get my head around reaching this age because I really can’t relate that number to myself.

"It's been a long journey and has been interesting, sad, happy and everything in between.

"People always ask me what my secret is but there is no secret. You just do the best you can with what you have at the time. Times get better and worse, then better and worse again.

"If you've done your best, there isn't much more you can do.”