Born and raised in Kyabram, Nancy attended school on Haslem St before embarking on a 55-year career as a hairdresser, a passion she carried from childhood.
“I had two sisters who were a bit older than me, and I was wanting to do hairdressing right from a kid. When I was starting, they didn’t want me to touch their hair, but when I became a hairdresser, they were quite happy for me to,” she said.
She and her late husband, Ken, whom she met at a dance in Undera before getting married in 1950, raised their three children, Kenn, Margaret and Nadine, together in Kyabram.
Over the decades, Nancy has lived a life packed with activity.
During World War II, Nancy and her friend volunteered as plane spotters, perched on a rooftop in the early hours of the morning, keeping a careful eye on the skies while frying eggs on a small camp stove.
A lover of dance and music, Nancy used to hit the dance floor nearly every night of the week, with the foxtrot being one of her favourites.
Beyond the dance floor, Nancy has led a remarkably full life, playing netball, golf, tennis and indoor bowls, singing in the Presbyterian church choir, and earning the title of Queen of the North for her hospital fundraising efforts.
Attributing her milestone to having an “active mind”, Nancy keeps busy reading magazines, attending church, catching live concerts and regularly heading off on trips around Victoria and interstate with her son, Kenn.
As Kenn puts it, the greatest lesson she has taught him and others over her 100 years of life is simple: kindness.
