SUNBURY | MACEDON RANGES
Home » News » Special birthday for Betty

Special birthday for Betty

Betty Williams didn’t let the COVID-19 pandemic stop her from celebrating a very special birthday.

The Riddell Gardens Aged Care Sunbury resident celebrated her 101st birthday in style on September 11.

Ms Williams grew up in Bristol, England with her two sisters Violet and Lillian and brother George.

“My mother was quite strict because she had to bring us all up after my father passed away from a war injury,” she said.

“But I was quite spoiled by my father.”

Later on in life, Ms Williams married and had three children, Peter, Gerard and Steven.

She is also the proud grandmother to 10 grandchildren and more than 20 great-grandchildren.

Steven said his mother and her siblings created fond memories with each other.

“Betty was the only child with a doll and she had a pram for the doll but it was never used for the doll,” he said.

“All the kids used to take the pram up to the coal yard, fill it up and take it back home. This was back in the 1920’s.”

To celebrate her 101st birthday, Ms Williams’ daughter-in-law baked her a cake and aged care staff decorated the home with balloons and flowers.

Ms Williams credited her long life to walking the dog twice a day, never drinking alcohol or smoking and not stressing.

Digital Editions


  • West is best this Midsumma

    West is best this Midsumma

    Midsumma Westside is back again, with plenty of events happening across Melbourne’s western suburbs between 18 January until 8 February. Georgia Tacey dives into all…

More News

  • Pool party cancelled

    Pool party cancelled

    Macedon Ranges council has advised that the Woodend Pool Party will no longer go ahead. The event, which was scheduled for Wednesday 14 January at the Woodend Outdoor Pool, has…

  • Council services Australia Day hours

    Council services Australia Day hours

    Purchase this photo from Pic Store: 336543 Some Hume council services will be impacted or closed during the upcoming Australia Day public holiday on Monday 26 January. Customer service centres…

  • Footy clubs benefit

    Footy clubs benefit

    Football and netball clubs across the Macedon Ranges have benefitted from the latest round of funding from the state government and the Transport Accident Commission (TAC). Macedon MP Mary-Anne Thomas…

  • My Place

    My Place

    Georgia Tacey caught up with Macedon and Mount Macedon Landcare president Kate Lawerence to hear about her love of Macedon and everything that happens with one of the Ranges’ youngest…

  • Reeling in funding

    Reeling in funding

    Coliban Water has reeled in a fresh catch of funding for two of its reservoirs. Macedon MP Mary-Anne Thomas announced that Coliban Water received two grants for its reservoirs in…

  • Family affair at Riddell

    Family affair at Riddell

    It was a family affair for ladder leaders Riddell in the Gisborne and District Cricket Association Jensen Shield seconds on Saturday, with club history made. For the first time, the…

  • Big Switch timetable released

    Big Switch timetable released

    The new timetable for the train networks ‘Big Switch’ has been released, with the state government saying it will deliver more than one thousand extra weekly services. Public and Active…

  • School and men’s shed unite for project

    School and men’s shed unite for project

    Kismet Park Primary School and Hume Men’s Shed Sunbury have joined forces on a special project at the Sunbury school. The collaborative project will see the construction of a new…

  • Sunbury groups awarded

    Sunbury groups awarded

    A number of local Sunbury community groups and organisations have benefited from the latest grant funding from Villawood Properties. Villawood’s Sunbury Community Grant campaign has awarded 10 recipients a total…

  • Free disposal of Christmas trees

    Free disposal of Christmas trees

    Purchase this photo from Pic Store: 322848 Macedon Ranges residents are able to dispose of their real Christmas trees for free throughout January. Macedon Ranges council has waived the green…