VIOLET Town's Kate Triscott celebrated her 100th birthday in style on Tuesday, April 18, arriving at a celebratory afternoon tea at Violet Town Bush Nursing Centre in a 1927 Model A Ford convertible as her friends, family and the nursing centre staff clapped and cheered.
Wearing a golden tiara, sunglasses and a pink sweater, as well as pearl earrings, necklace and bracelet, Ms Triscott waved regally to the cheering crowd.
"My mum's a bit of a princess," her daughter Sandy Garrett explained.
Members of The Vintage Drivers Club allowed Ms Triscott to borrow the car when they heard about her celebration, although they had originally only planned a stop for a barbecue in Violet Town as they drove their vintage cars to Wangaratta.
Ms Triscott surveyed all the cars assembled at Violet Town's Recreation Reserve and chose the one convertible, before being chauffeured through the town to the celebration by the car's owner Brenda Smith.
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When she arrived at the nursing home, she clambered out of the car with great ease and was ushered inside by the cheering crowd, where she found the facility's café set up with bone china cups, cake, balloons and flowers.
Ms Triscott, who suffers from Alzheimer's disease, gave a speech at the party saying she had realised the value of having family, especially as she got older and had lost two husbands and many of her friends.
The English–born centenarian came to Australia in 1950, and she attributes her long life to her hard physical work as a young member of the Women's Land Army in Kent during World War II.
For her 100th birthday, Ms Triscott received congratulatory letters from King Charles, Governor General David Hurley, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Victorian Premier Dan Andrews, Governor of Victoria Linda Dessau and member for Indi Helen Haines.
Ms Garrett is compiling the letters in an album form her mum, which will also include all her birthday cards and Facebook birthday messages from her family in England.
When asked what type of person her mum is, Ms Garrett laughed cheekily.
"Extremely strong–willed, feisty, very independent, doesn't like to be helped but very social," she said.
Ms Garrett described the birthday event as "absolutely wonderful" and "a great party".
Violet Town's Kirsty Harris, who writes the fortnightly Violet Town column for The Euroa Gazette, also attended the celebration and described it as "very well done".
She said Ms Triscott is "quite an elegant lady" and "a bit of a dame".
Her favourite moment of the party was Ms Triscott's comment, "I'm too fit to be 100!"
