No big secret to centegenarian's success

Eva Galbraith turns 100 years old tomorrow but does not believe she has done anything special to live to such an old age.

Mrs Galbraith, who has trouble seeing and hearing, has a very active mind and spent her younger days before marrying as a school teacher in many places in Otago and Southland.

She was born in Kaka Point and went to high school in Balclutha, at the age of 12, until she turned 16.

She studied to be a primary school teacher in Dunedin and then taught at various schools in Southland and Otago, including Balclutha, Kaitangata, Tahakopa, and Tuturau.

"I didn't like secondary school teaching, as I liked to teach small children," she said.

She married Thomas Galbraith, a local carrier in 1937, and gave up teaching.

"My husband didn't approve of working wives and he told me if he couldn't afford me, he wouldn't have asked me to marry him," she chuckled.

Mr and Mrs Galbraith sold their house and truck and put their furniture in storage after Mr Galbraith returned from service in World War 2 and lived with his ailing parents, where they stayed until both parents had died.

"We then bought a house in Invercargill and stayed there 20 years before moving to Alexandra for Mr Galbraith's health."

He died in the 1970s.

Longevity runs in Mrs Galbraith's family.

"My mother's family lived well into their 80s and most of my father's family did as well."

She really enjoys reading - especially non-fiction and she has a good friend who keeps her well supplied.

Mrs Galbraith is delighted with her card and picture from Queen Elizabeth II.

She plans to spend her birthday with family and friends and her niece has organised a party for her at Castlewood Home in Alexandra, where she lives.

Staff at the home say if there was anything that had led to Mrs Galbraith's long life it would be fruit, as she eats it all the time, by the bagful.