June Stewart celebrated her 100th birthday surrounded by her close friends and family.
Mrs Stewart, then Tobias, was born in Buckrabanule on June 6 in 1924 to her parents Frank and Edith Tobias, who were station masters.
She was one of six siblings, with four brothers and one sister.
Tobias became Stewart when she married Jack Stewart on November 22, 1947 in Kyabram.
Mrs Stewart said the two met after Jack returned from war, and walked into the shop where she worked.
“He came in to buy a packet of cigarettes and asked me if I’d like to go to the Kyabram Show,” Mrs Stewart said.
Together, they had two children: Lynette Stewart and Heather Thompson.
Later she became a grandmother to three grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
Mrs Stewart lived in Rochester for her formative years and it was there where she said she made the fondest memories of her life.
“We had a lovely home, we would swim in the river, and I went to a lovely school,” Mrs Stewart said.
“It was a lovely life going swimming in the river and going on walks on my own.”
She said she still kept up with her friends she made in her school days in Rochester.
She lived in Tongala for most of her adult life and moved into Warramunda independent living unit 15 years ago with her daughter Lynette before transitioning to the aged care facility in September 2023.
Speaking about moving into the facility, Mrs Stewart said life crept up on her quickly.
“We had a wonderful life, but this had to come — you knew it had to come — but it just came a bit quicker than expected,” she said.
Her mother, Edith Tobias, reached 100 years old in 1997.
Mrs Stewart said she was grateful to have reached three figures, but had one piece of advice for young ones.
“Do as much as you can while you’re young and while you’re able to,” she said.
On behalf of the Free Press, congratulations, Mrs Stewart.