JUNE 2018 | Cody Handley

WESTBURY RESIDENT, Vera Walker, had her 100th birthday in May.

She celebrated the milestone at a friend’s unit in Deloraine with a large turnout of family and friends, and even a Southern Cross news crew paid her a visit.

Vera Walker has had quite a ride over those 100 years.

Vera was born in Deloraine in 1918. “My father killed a snake the day I was born so it must have been a warm day,” she mused.

Vera spent her childhood at Westbury with her parents and 6 siblings, attending school at Exton.

Being a small town girl didn’t stop Vera from seeing the world, however. She has travelled extensively throughout Europe and Asia, and identifies her visits to Buckingham Palace and the Great Wall of China as some of the highlights.

Vera has had a long career in nursing, commencing at the LGH in 1939 and later completing accreditations in Midwifery and Child Health Training, making her a Triple Certificated Nurse.

Vera once won a competition to guess the weight of a fruitcake, which she attributed to all the babies she had weighed.

When asked about her secret to a long life, Vera was adamant: “Hard work and a good garden.”

Photo | Mike Moores