SHE’S seen the first woman elected to an Australian parliament in the early years of one century, and the nation’s first female Prime Minister elected in the early years of another century.
So it seemed only fitting that on her 100th birthday, Thelma Wolstencroft was sent letters of congratulations from the women that made an impact in her lifetime: the Queen, Governor General Quentin Bryce and Prime Minister Julia Gillard.
Mrs Wolstencroft has seen cars replace horse-drawn carts, and the smart phone replace the telegram.
It was only 10 years ago that her family couldn’t stop their go-getting gran from climbing a ladder and cleaning gutters.
“She’s been a real go-getter all her life,” her grandson, Richard Wolstencroft, said. “We’d say, ‘what the hell are you doing!’. But she was always like that.”
Mrs Wolstencroft turned 100 last week and celebrated with a party of family and friends at Rosewood Mews nursing home in Greensborough.
Mr Wolstencroft said his grandmother valued self-reliance highly and only moved into a low-care nursing home five years ago, after being successfully treated for bowel cancer.
He said his grandmother’s health had declined a bit, and she occasionally mixed up family members or failed to recognise friends. But she was generally aware of those around her and able to respond to them.
Thelma Wolstencroft was born on March 6, 1912, at Rae Street, North Fitzroy, the eldest of four siblings. She studied business and then worked as a book-keeper for most of her life, only retiring in her 70s when her employers realised her age.
She married Bill Wolstencroft and they lived for more than 50 years in Cape Street, Heidelberg, where she had one child, David, who died two years ago.
Her daughter-in-law, three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, including great- granddaughter Jessica (pictured) helped celebrate her birthday.
