General News
5 March, 2026
Celebrating a century
MORTLAKE’S Pauline Carter will celebrate her 100th birthday this weekend.
The soon-to-be-centenarian will celebrate her milestone birthday this Saturday, March 7 from 2pm at the Senior Citizens Hall in Mortlake, surrounded by friends and family.
Mrs Carter’s bookshelf is already adorned with cards and letters in celebration.
The only difference is this year letters include names such as King Charles, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Governor-General Sam Mostyn AC, Lowan MP Emma Kealy and Member for Western Victoria Bev McArthur.
Mrs Carter herself isn’t too fussed with the milestone, saying her secret to a long and happy life is to continue putting one foot in front of the other.
“You just take it and keep going,” she said.
“I kept busy but I never think about age.
“I’ve had a very interesting life.
“That’s how it went so fast.”
Mrs Carter had been raised in Dixie, leaving school after her mother died when she was just 13 to look after her family.
“I used to go and visit her at the hospital and she held my hand and said “please look after my babies”,” she said.
“I had six siblings so I became their carer, but you just do it.
“We had a cow and chooks – they used to come to the door and cackle, and you’d go and gather their eggs.
“I made all the clothes for my siblings.”
She spent her formative years taking care of her younger siblings but at the age of 18 made the decision to enlist in the army.
“I was coming up to 18 and my elder sister was able to take over caring for the family then,” she said.
“She used to work but came home, so I joined the army just as a break.
“I was only in the army for a short time as the war finished while I was still in rookie school.
“You can’t get out immediately.”
It was afterwards she would go on to meet her future husband, Les.
“We thought we would get married and went into Wodonga,” she said.
“They said we would have to wait a fortnight so we went over the border to Albury and they said there had just been a wedding – so we could use the flowers, everything.
“So, we got married.”
Following their wedding, the Carters relocated to Melbourne where the couple had their daughter, Terree (Parsons).
When Terree was 18-months old the family moved back out to Panmure to look after Mrs Carter’s ailing father.
They remained in the region for around 11 years before moving back to Melbourne in 1956.
During their time in Melbourne Mrs Carter began her career with roles in manufacturing, including book binding.
The role brought her a bit of independence – as too did her purchase of a little red Honda when she learned to drive at the tender age of 56.
“Because of my age you could go and sort yourself out, so I got my license straight away,” she said.
“I had a gorgeous little red Honda with P-plates on it.
“Cars would cruise up beside me and you would see a little old lady with the P-plates on.”
Melbourne had been kind to Pauline and Les but life had brought Terree back to the south west.
The Carters, wanting to be closer to their child and grandchildren, decided one day to make the move back out to the country.
“One day I saw a house for sale and thought Les would love it,” Mrs Carter said.
“I cruised in and rang him up, saying I was up in Mortlake.
“He said he would come up to take a look and I went over to Terang and got the deposit.
“The little house in Mortlake was only $44,000 and I’d got $50,000 over the price I wanted for our house in Melbourne, so I thought I’d sell it and come up here.”
Mrs Carter has kept active in her retirement, having been a swimmer while also maintaining her passion for cooking and crafts.
She said among her best decisions was joining a craft group with one of her dear friends, Julie Pomeroy.
“That was my family – Julie Pomeroy and all the girls,” Mrs Carter said.
“I learned how to do so much.
“In those days you had to make things.”
Ms Parsons said she was proud to celebrate the milestone with her beloved mother.
“Mum’s always had to be the doer, the thinker and the planner,” she said.
“I think it just keeps your mind active and you have to accept changes.”
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