"In the camp, she still worked as a nurse, because as she said, people got sick and it was her duty to help them," said her eldest daughter, Jackie French - who is quick to point out despite her famous author namesake, she is not "that Jackie".

The daughter of a Dutch politician living in the Dutch East Indies, Ms Kolder and her family were strongly outlawed by the invading enemy in World War II.

Captured in February 1942, she spent the entire war in prison and was only liberated in 1946, months after the war's end.

"She grew up in Indonesia. From aged one that was her home until the war and then it became her prison," said youngest son Chris Kolder, who is a twin with the youngest daughter Cathy Kolder.

"It was horrendous [in the prison], she was forced to march across the island a few times. She was beaten, she lost all her teeth and her vision has always been affected by the lack of nutrition."

While she was imprisoned with one sibling and her mother, during her incarcerated four years, Ms Kolder did not know where her younger brother or father had been taken.

"Her father had been evacuated and ended up in Cape Town, but they only knew that after the war," Ms French said.

"When they got out, they had no idea where to find him and it was the Red Cross that tracked him down."

Meanwhile, her brother Tony Kolder spent his war years inside the infamous Changi Prison in Singapore. Having survived equally horrendous conditions, he will turn 94 on Friday.

Following her release from prison, Ms Kolder immigrated to Australia to continue her work as a nurse. In the ensuing years, she would marry a Dutchman and travel the country.

But she never thought she would be so fortunate as to celebrate her 100th birthday in peaceful Wagga. Though, with her leap day birthday, as her daughter said it is so rare she is able to celebrate on the actual February 29th.

"It's her 100th anniversary but just her 25th birthday," Ms French said.

"We had a big celebration for her 21st birthday too. She was 84 then."

Had she been given her time over again without the war's disruption, Ms French believes her mother would be able to carve out a good living from her artistic pursuits.

"She paints every day, she's interested in politics, but since her eyesight isn't very good she listens to the news on the radio," Ms French said.

"She's a brilliant painter. In another life, she could have been an excellent artist."

Since 1989, Wagga has become Ms Kolder's home after she moved to be closer to her daughter Ineke.

One child has unfortunately passed away recently, while her seven surviving children now live scattered across the country and the world.

Ms French travelled from England to celebrate her mother's milestone at the weekend.

"None of us expected her to live to 100, I think," Ms French said.

"But some of her relatives have lived to their 90s."

To celebrate her birthday on Saturday, four generations of her family - including her 19 grandchildren - arrived in Wagga for a party Ms Kolder described as a "terrific surprise".

"I didn't expect it at all," Ms Kolder said.

"I've come a long way and now so many have come so far to be here for me."