Dancing Through Life – 100 Years of Win 

Respect is proud to celebrate Winifred “Win” from Autumn Lodge in NSW, who has reached the extraordinary milestone – 100 years of life. Win is known for her gentle nature, her love of dancing and her deep pride in the family she built.

Born in 1925, Win grew up in a world that felt safer and simpler. She remembers walking through the city alone, catching trains without worry and feeling free to explore. Life moved at a different pace, and she looks back on those years with fondness.

Win left school at 14 and began working as a machinist at the Bonds factory. She says her greatest purpose, though, was to be a good wife and mother – a role she embraced wholeheartedly.

When asked if she found true love, she says she did, not once but twice!

Her first love was an American boyfriend named John, a romance that ended when her mother disapproved. But fate stepped in. Win later met Keith through her brother, and the two discovered their fathers had once worked together.

They married in 1947 and shared more than 70 years of life side by side. Dancing was their passion – especially old‑time new vogue styles, and they were happiest when they were gliding across a dance floor together.

If Win could relive one day, she would choose their wedding day. It wasn’t fancy, but it was full of joy. She remembers catching the train from Penrith to Katoomba for their honeymoon, hoping it might snow.

The war years remain vivid in her memory – she said, “the memories are frightening and it still feels very real,” times she hopes the world never experiences again.

Win travelled widely throughout her life and stayed active through dancing, which she believes helped her reach 100. She still wishes she’d taken a trip on the Ghan, a journey she never quite managed to fit in.

Her greatest pride is her family and all they have achieved. Her advice is simple and sincere: work hard on your relationships and don’t give up too quickly.

When asked what Respect means to her, Win said, “Living here at Autumn Lodge feels like a safe place to be.”