Pat notches up a century

UNTIL recently, Pat Henshall thought she’d never done anything of note in her life.

But now the Kangaroo Flat resident has turned 100, that’s surely something to write home about!

When asked how she feels to have been alive for a century, she quipped, “damn awful!”

A resilient Mrs Henshall was joking, of course, when she spoke to the Bendigo Times soon after recovering from a short illness this week.

A resident of Estia Health’s Kangaroo Flat Aged Care facility, Mrs Henshall was treated to a birthday party recently to mark the occasion, organised by her daughter Maree Bell and sons Garry and Paul Henshall, all Bendigo region locals.

It was attended by more than 70 family members and friends, who gathered at the Bendigo Retirement Village community room for the event. Mrs Henshall lived there when she moved to Bendigo 10 years ago.

The cheerful centenarian said she had a “wonderful” afternoon, with one or two surprises on the guest list – a niece and her daughter flew down from Sydney, and a cousin and her husband travelled from Karratha in WA.

“I’ve never known anybody to be 100,” Mrs Henshall said. “I’ve lost a lot of friends; that’s the sad part, seeing your friends go.

“I take it one day at a time.”

Mrs Henshall received a congratulatory telegram from King Charles III and similar recognition from Victorian Governor Margaret Gardner, Premier Jacinta Allan, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Member for Bendigo Lisa Chesters.

An added and unexpected gift was a certificate of blessing from Pope Francis.

Mrs Henshall was born in Northcote and lived throughout her married life in Heidelberg. Mrs Bell said the move happened simply because her mum’s close circle in Melbourne was getting very small.

“Her friends had all gone and her family had all gone, and we thought it was time for her to come up here to be close to us,” she said.

Mrs Bell said the party was an overwhelming success.

“She had a wonderful time. She loved it,” she said. “She just loved seeing everybody.

“The brothers and I were more exhausted than she was, I think. She just lapped it all up.”