One of Murray Bridge’s oldest residents, Greta Briggs, turns 104

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As Greta Briggs blew out the candle on her 104th birthday cake on Wednesday, someone asked the question.

Was she now Murray Bridge’s oldest resident?

Since the passing of dear old Melva Baldock in 2015, at the age of 106, it has been unclear who now wears the proverbial crown.

Kathleen Byass, now 106 herself, is the likely holder.

But Mrs Briggs certainly comes close.

Born on March 11, 1920 at nurse Annie Young’s private hospital, Kooringa, she grew up and went to school at Booborowie, where her childhood home still stands.

She still remembered having an abundance of milk, eggs, butter and meat on the Metcalf family farm, milking morning and night, cutting chaff for the stock on a Saturday morning and doing the week’s baking in a wood oven on Saturday afternoons.

Her first job was as a housekeeper, and paid 10 shillings a week.

She married Samuel Briggs in 1942, and together they had three children, six grandchildren, 14 great and 12 great-great.

They, too, farmed through the years: dairying at Yalkuri Station at Narrung, then on the Coorong, then growing potatoes in a market garden, then finally taking over a poultry farm.

They retired to Port Elliot in the early 1970s, where she took up lawn bowls, but returned to Murray Bridge in 1984, and became some of the first residents at what is now the Murray Heights Lutheran village: “There was no bitumen out here, so when it rained it was all mud,” Mrs Briggs said.

Her husband died in November of 1985, almost 40 years ago.

Mrs Briggs moved into the Romani aged care facility only a year ago, as she recovered from a fractured hip.

One of the guests at her party, Joyleen Lucas, described her as “wonderful, a lovely friend”.

“She was one of the first who welcomed us in here when we came (to Murray Heights),” she said.

“At meal times and Friday night teas we always sat at the same table and got into trouble making too much noise.”

Mrs Briggs will celebrate her birthday proper next Monday.

Her advice to anyone who aspired to reach a century in age?

“Just continue on and enjoy yourself,” she said.

• Who is the oldest Murraylands resident you know? Email peri@murraybridge.news.

Note: This story was updated to include a reference to Ms Byass after its initial publication.