CENTENARIANS
DOROTHY: A cheeky dance with Elvis while wearing a spectacular sequined hat in a nod to her days as a milliner was how Dorothy Middleweek celebrated her 100th birthday.
Mrs Middleweek was born on June 22, 1917 in Sydney.
The seamstress and milliner was married at 21 and had three children with her husband Albert. Early in her marriage, Mrs Middleweek raised chickens and kept a large garden, selling the eggs and flowers for extra income.
The family later purchased a dairy farm in Grafton before moving to the nation’s capital in 1950. It was while living in Canberra that Mrs Middleweek was named the Commanding Officer of the Girls Brigade for the ACT.
“I enjoyed my youth work with the young girls. I taught them all about self reliance,” Mrs Middleweek said.
The lifelong Rotarian, who performed stints as club president and secretary, also enjoyed a brief career as a fashion model.
She decided to come to the Gold Coast and move into Ozcare Labrador in 2009. She is now a grandmother to six and a great grandmother to five.
“I had been to the Gold Coast many times for holidays when the children were young and really enjoyed it,” Mrs Middleweek said.
“The birthday party we had at Ozcare was out of this world. Elvis put on a good show and about 10 of my family came.
“I would like to thank my family and all the friends I’ve met along the way in my life. I’d say I’ve been a very lucky person.”