Leslie Weston still had a spring in his step and a twinkle in his eye when he turned 100 years old in the midst of lockdown.
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Even as his age reaches triple digits, Mr Weston still retains the ability to walk, talk, and crack wry jokes when the mood takes him.
RELATED: Leslie Weston still green at 90
The 100-year-old attributes his good health to his many years of hard work, having left school at age 14 to work at dairy farms around his hometown of Tarcutta.
"You had to work hard then. You worked longer hours for lower pay, and people didn't live as well as they did today, Mr Weston said.
"When I look back, a lot of it was fairly hard, but for the main part it was good. Things improve, you get more science, living standards get better."
His stalwart work ethic continues to this day, which is why he still insists on cleaning his own room, doing his own washing, and looking after himself.
Ship-shape tidiness was drilled into him during his four years in the navy, where he worked in the engine room after World War II broke out when he was 19 years old.
RELATED: Leslie Weston turns 95 years old
He returned to Tarcutta in one piece and married the love of his life Helen, who he had known since primary school.
Mr Weston went on to start Tarcutta Rural Supplies, which he ran well into his 60s before settling down into retirement.
Even after retirement Mr Weston continued to work hard serving the community, volunteering as a greenkeeper for the Tarcutta RSL and bowls club well into his late 90s.
He won an Order of Australia Medal for his services to the community, and in 1999 he was named the Tarcutta Citizen of the Year.
He has a long legacy, with eight children, around 20 grandchildren, and roughly a dozen great-grandchildren all around Australia.
One of his daughters Margaret Davis runs Wagga's Abbeyfield House, where he moved to in August last year.
His hundredth birthday may have coincided with one of the worst years on record, but Mr Weston firmly believes that the future will be brighter.
"I think the governments and countries are doing a very good job with what they're doing, I quite agree with trying to contain it as much as possible. People complain about these sorts of things, but you've got to put up with it," Mr Weston said.
"You've got to be very careful with it. I think we'll get vaccinations for it and it'll be a thing of the past later on."
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Kenji Sato
Kenji Sato is a handsome journalist at The Daily Advertiser who enjoys writing flattering bios about himself in the third person. He can be contacted by email at kenji.sato@dailyadvertiser.com.au or by mobile on 0448 927 612.
Kenji Sato is a handsome journalist at The Daily Advertiser who enjoys writing flattering bios about himself in the third person. He can be contacted by email at kenji.sato@dailyadvertiser.com.au or by mobile on 0448 927 612.
