111-year-old man crowned Australia's oldest person
<p>A former grazier from the outback Queensland town of Roma has become Australia's oldest man on record.</p>
<p>At 111 years and 124 days old, Dexter Kruger has overtaken World War I veteran Jack Lockett, who died in 2002 aged 111 years and 123 days.</p>
<p>The former veterinary surgeon is also a poet and an author and refuses to retire from his 5,300-hectare cattle property in the Maranoa region until his mid-90s.</p>
<p>He credits his long life to the simple lifestyle he enjoyed in the bush.</p>
<p>"It's because I do things differently," Mr Kruger said from an armchair at his aged care home.</p>
<p>"I lived very close to nature and I ate mostly what I grew in the garden or the orchard or the farm."</p>
<p>Born on January 13, 1910, before telephones or refrigeration, Mr Kruger has lived through world wars, droughts, depressions and pandemics.</p>
<p>He has a strict morning exercise regime and works on his latest book - an autobiography of the century he has spent on Earth.</p>
<p>He also keeps on top of current affairs as he addressed the state of the nation's vaccine rollout and the growing scourge of domestic violence.</p>
<p>"I don't think [today's world] is a nicer place, I do not," Mr Kruger said.</p>
<p>"People are not happy. They have too much debt … We have far too much money to spend on rubbish.</p>
<p>"Until we got all this computerised technology, life was much more relaxed.</p>
<p>"There are marvellous things you can do with a little chip, but we were once very much more relaxed."</p>
<p>A small party will be thrown to mark the milestone event, with the Australian Book of Records and various politicians expected to attend the celebration.</p>
<p>Mr Kruger's 74-year-old son Greg said his father's simple lifestyle and balanced diet, complete with "plenty of salt, sugar and fat", had a lot to do with his age.</p>
<p>"He lived through a period that was a lot less stressful than what society is faced with today," Greg Kruger said.</p>
<p>"He didn't go around chasing the bright lights, he was happy being around horses and cattle.</p>
<p>"His system wasn't worn out trying to process the junk food – he's never been overweight, always active."</p>
<p>Manager at Pinaroo Roma aged care facility Melanie Calvert said Mr Kruger's health was exceptional.</p>
<p>"He's probably one of the sharpest residents here," she said.</p>
<p>"His memory is amazing and his cognitive functioning is unbelievable."</p>
<p>Ms Calvert attributed his age to a combination of factors, including genetics, a balanced diet and regular exercise.</p>
<p>But she said what sets him apart is his strength of character.</p>
<p>"He's strong in the face of adversity – he has that positive mental attitude that keeps him going," she said.</p>
<p>"He sets goals to write books, to achieve milestones, and I think that keeps him going.</p>
