Nellie Turns 90!

On February 27th 2021, one of our beautiful clients, Nellie, turns 90 years old!

We interviewed Nellie about her upcoming milestone, and reflected on her life so far.

Here's what she had to say.

Where were you born?

"I was born in a little tin mining town in NSW called Tingha".

What did you do for work?

"My first job was working in a chemist, and I did a lot of things after that. I ended up being a telephonist at a telephone exchange, where you put the plug in when someone rang and connected them to the person they were ringing with another plug".

"I remember my first pay I got when I worked in an electrical shop, it was 19 shillings and 11 pence, that is $1.99 for 40 hours a week. Of course things were much cheaper back then".

What are your hobbies?

"I used to play tennis, I loved sport, but there wasn't organised sport like there is now. I always loved reading, I used to take a torch to bed and read under the blankets at night because we weren't allowed. We lived on a road with no electricity at the time".

"Now I love gardening, knitting, cooking, I sew a bit. I also love it when the family comes and visits".

Have you travelled? If so, where?

"Only once. I'm not a traveller, I don't like travelling. I did go to Malaysia for six weeks when my son who's in the air force was there. That's the only time I've been out of Australia, but I have been to Melbourne and Sydney, and places like that".

Do you have any kids/grandkids/great-grand kids?

"I have three sons, three grandsons and one granddaughter, two great granddaughters and one great grandson. Two of my sons live on the Sunshine Coast, one has a business that builds houses and sells them. My second son, the middle one, he retired last Christmas and was Assistant Police Commissioner in Brisbane".

What are some notable things that have happened in your life?

"My first memory is from when I was about 3, my mother and my sister, who's about 2 years older, than me got Diphtheria and were in hospital. Dad was looking after [my siblings and me] at home, and I can remember a man building a brick chimney, and when we put his tools down to have his smoko, I was playing with them. When he took them back I cried!"

"I can remember my brother going away to war, and the first time I ever saw my father cry was when we got a telegram to say my brother had been wounded. But he survived, and is now 97!"

"My Dad was crippled, he was since he was a baby. He said that when he was little the nurse picked him up and swung him around by his feet and broke both his ankles. He hobbled when he walked because he only walked on his toes and on the back of his heel. He couldn't wear shoes, he only wore boots".

How long have you been a client with RangeCare?

"Oh probably around three years I'd say".

What do you enjoy most about being a RangeCare client?

"I enjoy someone coming here, it's someone different to talk to. So when the cleaners come, I say "sit down and talk to me for a little while!" because I keep the house quite clean myself".

How are you celebrating your birthday this year?

"Well [my sons] are coming here and their wives are coming with them. My sisters, niece, nephew, next door neighbours are as well. Everyone is going to come here after lunch, and we're going to have a barbeque at night".

Do you have any advice for a healthy life?

"Keep busy I think is the main thing. I've never drank or smoked, and whether that helped me as well I don't know".

Do you have any advice or words of wisdom for the youth of today?

"That's a hard one. The thing I think is to learn more skills at home when you're young and spend more time with family".