Gwen Wilson almost didn't notice she'd turned 100 on Sunday, June 7.
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"Quite frankly, I don't think being 100 is any different to being any other age," she said.
"I've just been on the go and didn't think about it. You can't do the things you did when you were 20, but that's about it."
Her friends and family wouldn't let her forget the milestone.
Daughter, Janice McCrea, organised a small family gathering. To make the occasion while maintaining social distancing, members of the Probus club came to sing happy birthday from the footpath.
The fire brigade and neighbours also came past - and the minister at Kiama church caused a little chaos, much to Gwen's delight.
"The minister has organised people to attend chuch in their cars," she said.
"When he said it was my birthday they all started honking at once - well I imagine it was very confusing for anyone in town!"
The Werri Beach resident recently made the move to retirement living in Gerringong, due to a pinched nerve in her neck.
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While it makes the use of her hand difficult, Gwen is otherwise perfectly fit, and hopeful that physio and massage will remedy the problem.
Although moving during a pandemic came with its challenges, Gwen faced them with a typically cheerful attitude.
"When I arrived, I had to be isolated for two weeks," she said.
"I was quite happy sitting by myself - I had plenty to read, and puzzles, facebook and emails on the iPad.
"I've been very spoilt here."
Gwen said being able to amuse yourself is one of the secrets to a long and happy life, along with plenty of activity, a good diet, and the occasional wine.
She said life so far has been "wonderful" - despite her finacee going missing in action when she was 20. She found out he had died six years later.
"When you're young you're pretty resilient," she said.
"And there are so many good things that have happened - life just flows on and you have to go along with it.
"It's what you make of it."
Gwen later married, and went on to have two daughters, five grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
Her husband, David, passed away in 2005. He was followed by their eldest daughter in 2007.
Gwen's twin sister, Jeane, died last year, and a close friend of more than eighty years followed a couple of months after.
Gwen said she had wonderful memories of all of them.
"We all had a fantastic time together," Gwen said.
"I had a dream marriage, and a dream retirement.
"Jean and I were fortunate to have a good friend for so long."
A lot changes in 100 years - read below for Gwen's own account of growing up in the 1920s and 1930s.
"I was born on June 7 1920 as the second twin to Ruby and Herbert Smith of Haberfield, Sydney.
"I will start with medical science in 1920.
"We were induced three weeks premature because of our mother's health.
"It was a private hospital at Summer Hill land even the specialist did not realise mum was carrying twins because he could only hear one heart beat!
"One can imagine the surprise (or shock) when Jeane was delivered and there was still more to come!
"Our very early months were spent living at Haberfield but then our parents found a home at Hurlstone Park near my grandparents so mum had some help from her sisters.
"We had a very happy childhood and we always had each other's company.
"Only a small percentage of the community had cars so most people used public transport (buses, trams, steam trains and ferries) but there was no provision for prams.
"Mum could only take us for a walk from home in the double pram and had to wait for dad after work, or one of her sisters, to carry one of us and our gear.
"In the home, hot water had to be boiled in a kettle on the gas or fuel stove or the laundry copper. Laundries had twin concrete tubs with a very smooth surface and a copper heated by gas or fuel.
"Instead of electric fridges we had ice chests and large blocks of ice were delivered by the ice man in an insulated trailer. The ice man carried the large block of ice on his shoulder on which he wore a thick leather pad covering the top, front and back of his shoulder and work thick leather gloves.
"Ironing was done using two cast irons alternatively which were heated on the gas or fuel stove and the irons were rubbed over a pad of wax before ironing anything. The irons were called 'Mrs Potts'.
"The milk was delivered after 3am by a milkman driving or walking beside a horse and cart. Billy cans were left at the front door to measure the milk out from the jug he carried.
"The baker delivered bread Monday to Saturday morning and a man came around regularly selling clothes props and rabbits.
"Clothes lines were two lines of wire attached to each end of a bar which was screwed in the centre to a pole and the clothes prop held the line above head height in the centre and the wires were lowered to peg the clothes on. Only dolly pegs were available. Spring pegs came later as did the Hills Hoist about 1948.
"We were lucky our area was sewered but many areas of Sydney did not get sewer until the 1950s.
"When we were in primary school, one of the government radio stations (2FC or 2BI) had a birthday concert and morning tea once a month. It was held at Farmers Department Store in Market Street in the city. Once a year we were taken in to enjoy the event.
"This store later became Grace Bros and then Myer as we currently know it. Besides Farmers in the city we had many other large department stores. Grace Bros had two stores at Broadway. Marcus Clarks was at Central and Anthony Horderns was in Haymarket. Liverpool Street had a very impressive building which housed another department store called Mark Foys which also had a ballroom that was a very popular venue. David Jones also had two stores in Market Street which are still in operation today.
"We also had two large furniture shops (Beberfalds and Beard Watsons) which sold quality furniture ready to use - not the flat packs they sell today which can test the buyer's patience when they have to assemble it or take the option of paying someone to assemble it for them.
"We did not have any regional shopping centres like Westfield or Stocklands. Roselands was the first of many such centres.
"Besides the ballroom in the Mark Foys building there was a large ballroom at Town Hall called The Trocadero. Balls were also held at places like Petersham Town Hall, Marrickville Town Hall and Rockdale Town Hall. All these places held regular dances which were well attended every Saturday night and some even on a week night.
"We did not have as many bridges across Sydney rivers and a punt was used to cross from Tom Ugly's Point to Sylvania and on Sunday afternoons in the summer the cars often joined the queue for the punt somewhere as far back as where Box Road joins Port Hacking road and we would spend about an hour stopping and starting just to get on the punt. There was always a lady selling sweets to the occupants of the cars as they moved along.
"In the homes we had radio and a wind-up gramophone, board games, cards, books and table tennis so we were never bored. We girls had our dolls as well. Most children spent their time outside with hopscotch, skipping ropes, bikes, scooters and ball games. We had a very happy childhood.
"At the Royal Easter Show the show bags had miniature packets and tins of groceries and for a few weeks a lot of kids enjoyed playing 'shop' until the novelty wore off.
"Shops were all closed from midday Saturday until Monday morning but a few milk bars were open and the cinemas did not operate on Sundays.
"During the 1920s and 1930s Sunday Schools were usually well attended by many children and our Sunday School used to hire a steam train which picked us up at Hurlstone Park and delivered us to the Royal National Park and was there for us to have a comfortable journey back at about 4pm or 5pm.
"We also had twice daily mail delivery Monday to Friday and one on Saturday morning. We also had telegrams which were used to send messages to people who did not have a home phone. Only a small percentage of homes had a phone. In fact when we had our first home at Narwee from 1948 we had to wait until 1953 before telephone wires were installed on the new streets and old streets as well.
"During the war we had to have all windows covered by blackout curtains and all external glass doors and car head lamps were hooded.
"We also had food and clothing coupons for some time after the war ended.
"We had many bush picnics and visits to the beach.
"We started school when we turned six and spent eighteen months at Yeo Park Infants School and then went on to Canterbury Primary School and Canterbury High School.
"I started work in the office of Marcus Clarks at Central and was paid ten shillings per week. My weekly train ticket was 1/6 (one shilling and sixpence which equates to fifteen cents)
"We met a girl at work in March 1935 and that was the beginning of a lifelong friendship lasting 84 years and 9 months until her passing at the age of 101 years.
"I met my future fiancé at work and became engaged in September 1940 but the next few years from February 1940 to May 1946 were spent living one day at a time as it was during the war and he was 'missing presumed dead'. We eventually found out that he was killed during the war.
"Later I met a wonderful man, David, and we were married in April 1948 and had two daughters, five grandchildren and I now have nine great-grandchildren. They all still come to see me.
"Our first home was at Narwee and while living there in 1957, together with my sister Jeane, her husband Doug and their family, we built a holiday house in Renfrew Road at Werri Beach and spent many happy years there.
"As we had a lifestyle established there it was only natural that we retired to Werri.
"We were all foundation members of the Gerringong Men's Bowls and Recreation Club in 1959 and in 1960 Jeane and I became foundation members of Gerringong Women's Bowling Club.
"David and I moved into our home in Werri Street on 24 December 1976 and I have lived in that house longer than any other house.
"Our retirement was spent playing bowls, surfing, touring Australia and overseas. It was fabulous.
"David passed away in 2005 and our eldest daughter passed in 2007. Since then I try to keep busy and get out as much as possible. 'Use it or lose it' is my motto.
"I have an iPad and most of the time I can manage to send and receive emails. I am also on Facebook and it is lovely to be able to keep up with what my daughter, grandchildren and great-grandchildren are doing. I also enjoy doing jigsaws on the iPad - in fact sometimes I get so engrossed I don't realise how much time has passed while I am doing them.
"I still value having my licence to keep my independence in being able to get out to do my grocery shopping and get to my various social activities.
"My sister Jeane passed away on 16 September 2019 and I cherish the 99 years, 3 months and 9 days we had together."