Two Werribee residents celebrated turning 100 on 28 November, both marking quite remarkable centuries.
On Tuesday 25 November, Star Weekly visited James Colgan at Baptcare Wyndham Lodge.
“Yeah, I never imagined that I would ever reach that age. Never,” Mr Colgan said.
Mr Colgan started his life on a small farm in Newry – about 35 miles from Belfast in Northern Ireland.
“I left home at 17 and a half and I turned RAF during the war,” he said.
In 1951, at the age of 25, he emigrated to Australia – spending about five or six weeks at sea and enjoying the ride.
He has built quite the legacy for himself down under, having six children and 14 grandchildren.
On the big day, his family took him to an Irish pub in Brunswick where he enjoyed a pint of cold pint of his favourite drop Guinness.
Not far away at Estia Health, Star Weekly attended Chrystal Dietrich’s 100th birthday party.
Ms Dietrich was also born on 28 November 1925, but in German Silesia– which is today part of Poland.
Moving to Australia in 1958, she has two children, two grandchildren and two great-grandchildren so far.
“I feel very good but I don’t feel that I am 100– only my hearing is bad, otherwise I feel okay,” Ms Dietrich said about the occasion.
Son Michael Dietrich and daughter Gabriele Haveaux said their mother is someone who would do anything to help her family.
“She is always friendly, would do anything for you, and she disciplined us in terms of teaching us good values and how to be good members of society,” Mr Dietrich said.
“She is very generous with her time and she would do anything with her time– she hates being the centre of attention, but she’s getting into it now,” Ms Haveaux said.
