104 Incredible Years of Hazel

Hazel was born in Brisbane on 29 March 1922, and at 104 years old she still speaks about her life with clarity, humour and a deep sense of gratitude. 

Her childhood was shaped by the world events of the time. She remembers the rationing of the Second World War, the coupons needed to buy everyday items, and the heartbreak of losing her brother, who was killed in action while serving in the Navy.

Those memories have stayed close. 

School was a defining chapter for Hazel. She attended Kangaroo Point State School, perched high above the Brisbane River, and later sat the Queensland State Scholarship Exam.

She placed eighth in the state and received the Charles Stumm Memorial Bursary, presented by Governor Sir Leslie Orme Wilson. That achievement opened the door to the State Commercial High School, where she excelled in shorthand, typing, bookkeeping and business methods – skills that shaped her working life. 

Hazel’s goal was clear from the beginning: she wanted to work in a bank. And she did. She joined the Commercial Bank of Australia, which later became part of Westpac.

The bank sat beside the AMP building, where General Douglas MacArthur established his headquarters during the war. Hazel remembers seeing him arrive during her lunch breaks, a small but striking detail from a turbulent time. 

After the war, Hazel married Jack in 1945. They built a life in Brisbane and ran a reupholstering business together – a business Hazel managed on her own for three years until Jack could join her. Later, they travelled together in their caravan, enjoying the freedom of the road. 

When it came time to downsize, Hazel and Jack moved to Riverside Gardens, buying a unit off the plan in 1999. Jack passed away in 2002, and Hazel stayed on, building a full and active life.

She joined the Auxiliary, helped run street stalls and barbecues, became a Life Member of U3A, joined a sewing guild and even learned Italian for four years. 

She lived independently for more than two decades before moving into care at 102. She now lives in a room she later discovered was furnished with funds raised by the very Auxiliary she once served. 

Hazel’s proudest achievement is her family: her children, Marilyn and Keith, and the grandchildren and great‑grandchildren who followed.

The love of a loving family, she says, is something everyone should experience. 

Her advice is simple and generous: stay active, keep your mind working, and be kind — because you never know what someone else is carrying. 

Hazel’s favourite music is anything by Bing Crosby, and if life had unfolded differently, she would have joined the armed forces. But after losing her brother, she knew it would have been too hard for her mother. 

One day she would return to if she could be the ceremony held 73 years after her brother’s death, when he and his fellow servicemen finally received full naval honours in Melbourne. It was a proud, emotional moment – one she holds close. 

At 104, Hazel describes Respect as a place where she is cared for with dignity. Her century‑long story is one of achievement, service, resilience and family – a life lived fully, and remembered well.