Margaret May (McPherson, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Ageing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise tonight to offer my congratulations to Helen Oaky, a grand lady who lives in my electorate who last week turned 101 years young. Helen was born in Oakey in Queensland in 1907 and moved to Kirrahaven, an aged-care facility at Kirra on the Gold Coast, when she was 94. It might be worth noting tonight that in the year of Helen’s birth Alfred Deakin was Prime Minister, the First World War was still seven years away and there had only been four modern Olympic Games.

Helen has certainly witnessed firsthand some of the truly momentous moments in our history. I know from the time I have spent with Helen that she is still very active and very engaged with her local community and the residents of Kirrahaven. She certainly keeps abreast of issues going on in the world. When I asked about what had kept her young and living so long, she talked about her daily walk. In fact, up until she was 100 years old she used to walk half an hour a day; that has now been cut back a little bit. She also had some other advice that maybe all of us can take note of tonight. She said, ‘You do have to walk every day. You do have to enjoy that glass of scotch every day, but only one glass. Leave it at one. And get out of bed at six o’clock in the morning and have a cold shower.’ To Helen, from me and my office: many hearty congratulations on the celebration of your 101st birthday.