Australia’s oldest woman, Lorna Henstridge, has died aged 112.
Henstridge celebrated her 112th birthday in June, but on Monday her daughter confirmed her death to The Adelaide Advertiser.
During her lifetime, she had lived through two global pandemics and 26 Australian prime ministers.
Henstridge’s family confirmed she had been ill with pneumonia in the final weeks of her life.
Born in Adelaide on June 6, 1914, Henstridge arrived into a world on the brink of major change, with World War I beginning just weeks later.
She spent most of her childhood on a farm at Bute, about 130 kilometres north of Adelaide, before later settling in Keith, about 200 kilometres south-east of the capital, with her husband Alan.
Henstridge was just eight months younger than Australia’s oldest living person, Ken Weeks, who is the oldest Australian on record and lives in Grafton on the NSW north coast.
She had lived independently until the age of 105 and leaves behind nine great-grandchildren.
In 2024, Henstridge spoke about her long life and the importance of staying active, both physically and mentally.
“You can’t let old-fashioned ideas take over your life,” she said.
“You’ve got to live today, by today’s standards. And keep going with it, and be happy with it.
“And you’ll find most people are very happy to come and help you get there.”
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