On March 27, this remarkable woman celebrated a milestone that speaks to more than just longevity. Born in 1926 at Wangaratta Hospital, Olive's century-long journey has been one of unwavering devotion to the land, family, and community that shaped her.
"I've been on the land all my life, and I loved it," Olive said.
Raised on her parents’ wheat and sheep farm outside Wangaratta, Olive was the only daughter among three brothers.
From those early days, she embraced country life with a deep sense of belonging that would guide every chapter ahead.
That love of the land became the foundation for her life with husband Horry Prescott, whom she married in 1958 after a decade-long courtship that began at a friend's party.
"It took 10 years before we were married," Olive recalled with a gentle smile.
Together on their Telford farm, they raised children Heather and Craig while continuing the family tradition of wheat and sheep farming.
Today, that legacy lives on through Craig, who cultivates canola and wheat across the family's 3,000-acre property.
"It was a hard life, but it was a lovely life," Olive reflected.
"People helped each other; you knew your neighbours and worked together."
Over the years, Olive’s resilience has been tested by arthritis, five hip replacements, multiple fractures, and a recent broken leg, but that hasn’t dimmed her spirit.
Widowed for 18 years, she still speaks tenderly of Horry, who served as a councillor for 26 years and RSL president for 33 years.
Today, family brings Olive her greatest joy. A proud grandmother to seven and great-grandmother to one, she delights in seeing the next generations flourish across farming, nursing, medicine, and information technology.
"They've all chosen their own profession and are doing very well," she said.
"I'm very proud of them."
"I couldn't have had lovelier parents or husband; I’ve been blessed.”
As she enters her second century, Olive Prescott remains exactly where she belongs, on the land she has loved all her life, surrounded by the family who continue her remarkable legacy.
