Cheers for Phyllis for 100 years
Well-wishers from near and far were on hand on Sunday to wish Strathalbyn’s Phyllis Banks a happy 100th birthday.
Well-wishers from near and far were on hand on Sunday to wish Strathalbyn’s Phyllis Banks a happy 100th birthday.
Phyllis said the best part of turning 100 was having family and friends on hand to celebrate and share the day with her, while hearing from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, King Charles, and Governor-General Sam Mostyn was special
“I am a bit overawed actually,” she said.
“I never thought I would make it, but here I am, and pretty healthy being 100.
“I am very pleased with people remembering me, and all turning up – relations I haven’t seen for ages, it’s been a bit special.”
Phyllis was born on September 3, 1926, at Thebarton, daughter of Geoffrey and Gertrude Pammenter.
She attended Plympton and Bow Hill schools, leaving at just 13 to work as a machinist, manufacturing leather goods, along with sewing clothes for soldiers during World War II.
She and husband Peter had three children, all within three and a half years, raising them at Lynton in the Adelaide foothills.
She and Peter – who worked as a chief engineer for Ansett Airlines - moved to Netley in 1967, where Phyllis made lifelong friends, with a number attending Sunday’s celebrations.
In 1992 the couple moved to Strathalbyn, living on a small acreage and later moved to River Banks Estate.
She now lives with daughter Trish.
Phyllis and Peter, who has passed away, travelled around Australia in their caravan before ‘grey nomads’ were thought of – and Phyllis also enjoyed travelling overseas to Singapore, Bangkok, Hong Kong, China, France, England, Phillipines and Bali.
Many hobbies have kept her busy.
Such was her love for birds that she became known as ‘The Bird Lady’, serving the Bird Care Society for many years, nursing injured birds and raising babies that fell from nests.
1. Travelling to Strathalbyn on Sunday for Phyllis Banks’ birthday were Harper Stewart, of Adelaide, Sam Worrall, of Adelaide, and Kye Meulders, of Adelaide. 2. Stan and Lorraine Quick, of Strathalbyn, and Elaine Zbierski, of Strathalbyn, were enjoying Sunday’s birthday celebrations for centenarian and friend Phyllis Banks at the town’s Oval Function Centre. 3. Rosemary Carter, of Elizabeth North, and Dawn Hill, of Strathalbyn on Sunday. 4. Fay Penniment, of Strathalbyn, and Graham and Jenny Sandercock, of Murray Bridge, on Sunday.
Always active, she took up marathon running, running half-marathons many times, and earning a trophy for being the eldest person to complete the City-Bay Fun Run.
She is a life member of the Strathalbyn Garden Club, attends lunches every week at the Strath Neighbourhood Centre, and is a member of Legacy where she attends lunches each month.
Phyllis puts the secret to living for a century down to an active lifestyle.
“I was always very active as a young person, enjoying fun runs and all those things, even the City-Bay (when) I wasn’t a spring chicken,” she said.
“I have lost some of my brain, but I am fortunate that I can still remember most people.
“You never know how long you are going to live, but I guess I will just keep on worrying my daughter, and be just at home.
“I like going to the veterans’ affairs clubs, and the garden club meetings, to have a cuppa.”
Phyllis has nine grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren, and five great-great-grandchildren.
