Jean Whatson is proof that age is nothing but a number.
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The lovable resident at Ingenia Gardens Taree recently celebrated her 100th birthday surrounded by friends, staff, her son Jim and his wife Maki.
Her eyes lit up as a large birthday cake and accompanying pastries hit the table. She was only too keen to show off her letter from the Queen.
Jean moved to Taree a few months ago to be closer to her daughter Cheryl and escape the brutally cold climate in Canberra.
"It was too cold for her in Canberra," Jim explained.
"She's getting the best out of life here.
"She likes to go out a lot so she can do that here in winter time."
Jean is a master when it comes to Scrabble or a complex crossword puzzle.
"She fills her time in doing crossword puzzles, she can do the cryptic crosswords and the regular crosswords that I can't even understand the clues," Jim smiled.
She's also proven to be quite the 'speed demon'.
"We had to get a walking frame because she walks so fast.
"The frame slows her down so we can keep up," Jim laughed.
Now the oldest resident at Ingenia Gardens, community manager Amanda Howton said she was still active in the community and often seen socialising with her neighbours in the community room.
"Despite her age, Jean is always on the move - she enjoys having a laugh and getting to know her neighbours - she is a whizz on her wheelie-walker," Ms Howton said.
Jean grew up in Bendigo, Victoria with her nine siblings before a move to Sydney.
In her prime, Jean took up golf socially. She dominated everyone on the course.
"She became a champion golfer without any training or real practice," Jim said.
Jean became a nurse in the airforce during World War II.
Her work is featured in 'Remember Our World War II Nurses', a book written about nurses in Bendigo during the war.
Jean also trained horses and assisted children who wanted to learn to ride.
"She was involved with Riding for the Disabled and led kids around who wanted to ride," Jim said.
Jean met her future husband Douglas, who was also in the airforce, during this time.
He later became a well respected teacher and headmaster.
This meant a lot of moving around for the young family.
"We were never in one spot for more than one or two years," Jim said.
Douglas died in 1972.
Jean spent many years in Sydney and Canberra before the big move to Taree.
