Hundred years ago, Mary Elizabeth George (known as Meg) was born and grew up at ‘Cornhill’ in Merrijig, out of Mansfield.
She was a farmer’s daughter and worked the sheep farm and milked the cows with her brother Roy and father Percy.
Her mother Elsie was a great pianist and played at all local dances around Mansfield.
Meg had a great affinity with horses, so much so, she found a lovely thoroughbred mare Nonilla.
Meg gained her racehorse owners/trainers licence and together they won many races, Mansfield and Merton Cups and several ladies bracelets (woman jockeys’ only race).
Meg was the first woman in Victoria to do this and there was an article in the Melbourne Argus about her horse training life just after the war.
She also competed in local shows and horse sporting days as well as the Melbourne and Sydney Royals with a great deal of success in both flat riding and hunting.
In her spare time, she played Aussie Rules football with Mansfield Football Club, another feather in her famous cap.
She married Pat and moved over the hill to Booroolite where they farmed until 1970 on the Delatite River.
The move to Benalla was a different life for Meg and she threw herself into helping others.
She worked at Ballendella opportunity shop for 25 years.
She also became a wonderful golfer winning three championships, pennant flags with her friends and many trophies.
Meg loves looking her best and in years gone by she was the local Avon lady.
She had a great time ordering and passing on all the Avon goodies to her various clients, and many items were purchased for herself and family members.
Meg loved and lived for her family and is very proud of her four children — Christine, Rodney, Jacqueline and Russell — nine grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren.
Her family members could not wish for a more caring and doting mother who is always interested in joining in every event each family members were attending, and are so proud to have a mum who is 100 years old and is deeply loved and loving to all.