Epping will have another centenarian on its books.
Estia Health aged care resident Phyllis Fisher is turning 100 on October 16.
She only moved to the state from Queensland in 2017 to be closer to her family. She has fond memories of growing up in country New South Wales.
“My mother and father were pioneers of the town and ran the local post office. My sister and I worked with them manning the local telephone exchange,” Phyllis said.
“It was the only building in Goodnight at the time, other than the houses on the farming properties nearby. I loved growing up in the country. I would walk for miles on our property with the dogs and sheep looking for birds’ nests.”
She met her husband Andrew at a Tooleybuck dance in NSW and were married in 1943. They had four children together, Alicia, Graeme, Peter and Stephen, before moving to Melbourne with her husband.
Phyllis loves music – especially Irish. She took up playing the organ in her 50s and loved her music lessons. She’s also an incredible artist, with a great passion for painting.
“I loved painting, mainly focusing on the beautiful country landscapes. This was where my heart lay, I have always been a country girl at heart,” she said.
She said looking back on her 100 years, there were many things that brought her joy.
“I was blessed to have been raised in the country with a loving and hardworking family,” she said.
“Meeting my husband, spending our lives together and having and raising our beautiful children also bought me great happiness.
Then seeing my children have children of their own was very special. Having grandchildren and great grandchildren has bought me so much joy, watching them grow and develop and sharing special memories with them.”
