Bribie Cove resident celebrates 100
Bribie Cove resident George joined the centenarian club on October 31, celebrating his 100th birthday.
As a self-professed ‘sun worshipper,’ there was no better way to reflect on the past 100 years than sitting on beautiful Bribie Island.
George was sent on a train from Melbourne to Ipswich, where he worked on a relative’s farm at age 14. Four years later, George was called up for the army.
“I jokingly tell people I served overseas and so the next question is ‘where?’ and my answer is always Tasmania,” George laughs.
“Don’t tell the truth is my motto, people have heard all of that, you have to pull some legs sometimes and have a bit of fun.”
After serving in the army for four years as a trained driver based at Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea, George came home at 22 after a bad bout of malaria needed to be treated in Sydney.
George returned to Melbourne and started a brick-laying course, later learning concrete technology, getting his builders license and taking up carpentry.
“I was curious to learn how things work. And I found if you keep your mouth shut and your eyes open, it’s surprising what you can learn,” George says.
George married Zonia, who he met after the war, and they went on to have four children.
“I always tried to keep myself very fit and I thought if I can make it, then well good stuff, but if I didn’t then bad luck for the world,” George laughs.
“It’s funny how life happens – how all the clouds collide and how it works out.
“My advice would be that you have to have a sense of humour and a sense of the ridiculous. I don’t take life too seriously; I enjoy pulling people’s legs and that sort of thing.”