Love Of A Good Woman Helps Mick Make 101
Illawarra Mercury
Thursday April 15, 1999
Herb Hollingsworth cruised through his 101st birthday yesterday and is now preparing for an even bigger event on his calender - Anzac Day.
``I've never missed a march yet," said the last of the First World War's Seven Lighthorse unit.
Herb, or Mick as he's known to friends and staff at Garrawarra Nursing Home, bumped his age up in 1915 to join the war.
The Aberdeen lad was trained near Newcastle and was soon shipped to Egypt to fight the Turks.
About 60 people gathered at Garrawarra yesterday to wish him well including his only child, Joan, who is 69.
His wife Margaret died in January this year, aged 93.
He dressed for the occasion in a suit, tie, joggers and his army hat.
``I feel 100 per cent fit," he said after the two-hour bash.
``The trick to leading a long life is to have a good woman look after you," he said.
But staff described him as fiercely independent.
``He likes to look after himself to a large degree and he gets out of his wheelchair at least once a day for a brisk 100m walk," said one of his nurses.
Mick worked for the Water Board for most of his life and lived at Gymea before he and Mrs Hollingsworth moved into Garrawarra.
His daughter Joan said her father's dream on this birthday was to make it to 2000.
``He wants to be able to say he is one of the few people to see three centuries and knowing dad, he'll make it," she said.
© 1999 Illawarra Mercury