She enjoyed the milestone with more than 200 friends, family and fellow Cooinda residents — and is now officially the oldest resident the facility has ever housed.
As she sits enjoying a slice of cake on an Autumn afternoon with friends, she said it was fair to say the world was a different place to the one she was born into in 1914.
That was the year that Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated, that Charlie Chaplin starred in his first film and when ships made their way through the Panama Canal for the first time.
Of course Daph’s early memories begin a little bit later when she was a young child living with her parents in Yarrawonga’s local milk bar.
‘‘Mum used to own a lolly shop. She sold a bit of everything,’’ Daph said.
‘‘Me and my twin sister Eve used to sneak downstairs at night and get a few lollies in a tin mug and then take them back to bed and eat them.’’
Her memories from that time were captured in a book published by the Yarrawonga CWA last year called Mothers. Daughters. Friends.
However, Daph very much lives in the present and still enjoys a coffee in Bridge St when her son Alan, and daughter-in-law Jan come to visit.
Alan has been extremely happy with his mother’s transition to living at Cooinda and talks about how difficult it was to convince her to move in, when she was just a young 100-year-old.
‘‘She was very independent and didn’t want to go in,’’ Alan said.
‘‘She had been going to a day centre three times a week, but it was run by a friend of her’s and she saw herself as someone who helped run it, rather than an elderly lady who visited each week.
‘‘But she really enjoys her time at Cooinda now and the staff love her. They’re arranging this party for her.’’
Alan said he would like to extend a big thank you to the staff at Cooinda.
‘‘The function room looks a picture with all the beautifully decorated tables,’’ he said.
‘‘And a special thanks to the nurses who helped Daph get dressed up for the day, her wonderful hairdresser Cris and to all the kitchen staff who helped make the cake.
‘‘And thank you to Glenda who entertained everyone with her beautiful singing. Thank you all for making Daphne’s birthday a memorable and moving occasion that the family will always remember.’’
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