At 109 years old, Nellie McEachran has lived through two world wars, seen 25 prime ministers come and go and raised five generations of her family.
She is still living in her own home.
“I just love this place, a lot of memories,” Nellie told 7NEWS.com.au from the house she bought with her husband Archie in 1958 for £3200.
Now widowed, Nellie’s children are in aged care themselves.
Her ability to remain in the Gladstone home she has lived in for more than 60 years – about six hours’ drive north of Brisbane – depends on support.
While she receives regular assistance from carers, she is among a small number of Aussies able to age in place at all.
Born on November 5, 1916, during World War I, Nellie grew up on a sugar cane farm at Rosella, south of Mackay.
Life was demanding and relentless.
“My father grew sugar cane … I walked two miles to school,” she said.
“I didn’t go to school until I was six years old.”
As the eldest child, she often remained at home to help her mother manage the household.
“It doesn’t mean you did farm work but you helped your mother,” she said.
“I wonder now how mum got through all the work that she did of a morning.”
Daily life involved milking cows, separating milk, churning butter by hand and relying on kerosene lamps for light.
“Mum had bread to make,” Nellie recalled.
“I vowed and declared I’d never make a loaf of bread and I never have.”
In 1942, as the Pacific War intensified, Nellie married Archibald Stewart McEachran at the Presbyterian Church in Mackay. Archie was serving in the army at the time.
“We didn’t really know whether we were being married or not because the Coral Sea Battle was going on in the Pacific,” she said.
She later witnessed bombs falling near Townsville.
“We got into bed and the fire alarm went off,” she said.
“We got under the table with mattresses … and we saw these two bombs dropped where the wharf met the land but they missed it.”
After moving frequently for work, the couple eventually settled in Gladstone, purchasing the home where Nellie continues to live more than six decades later.
“This is my home,” she said simply.
“I love it here.”
The property became a focal point for family life. Even after her children married, Friday night dinners at the family home remained a longstanding tradition.
“Every Friday night they came for dinner,” Nellie said.
Nellie now has four great-great-great-grandchildren, with five generations connected to the same home.
Remaining independent at 109 is made possible through support from Ozcare, which visits several times a week.
“I have a little job for them to do,” Nellie said.
Carers assist with cleaining, groceries, laungry and transport, allowing her to visit her children.
“I really enjoy those visits,” she said.
“I’ve got to make the conversation … but I love seeing them.”
Ozcare’s Eleanor Green said the organisation was committed to helping older Australians remain in their homes wherever possible.
“We’re proud to be able to assist where she … needs help,” Green said.
However, these kind of arrangements are uncommon.
“While Nellie’s story is fantastic and inspiring, it’s more of an exception rather than the norm,” National Seniors Australia chief advocate Chris Grice said.
Nearly 200,000 older Australians are currently waiting for home care packages.
Although aged care reforms introduced last year included a $4 billion program aimed at helping seniors stay at home longer, concerns persist about workforce shortages.
“There’s great care workers out there and we just need more of them,” Grice said.
Nellie said she never anticipated reaching 109.
“I really never thought I’d make 100,” she said.
Her age continues to surprise those she encounters.
“When I go to the blood bank and I’ve got to give my name and birthdate, they look at me and look down again,” she said with a laugh.
When asked about the secret to her longevity, she was clear: “I’ve had a good, long, happy life and a very happy marriage.”
For as long as support remains available, she intends to stay in the home that has shaped so much of her life.
“I just love this place,” she said again.
Images: 7News
