ALLEN Parker celebrated his 100th birthday among family and friends in Mentone late last month.
Parker has been a gunner on supply ships to the north of Australia, a linesman for the State Electricity Commission, a builders labourer, and a fencing contractor. He and his six siblings moved from Birchip to Cranbourne, Dingley, Mentone, and Beaumaris before he turned 10.
Allen Parker met his wife Leila at a Hampton dance in 1948. The couple shared 64 years of memories together.
Parkers’ passions have include horse racing, gardening, and tennis. “I loved gardening, and I loved going floundering at night and catching fresh fish to barbecue,” he said.
The 100th birthday party was held at Avonlea Grange Mentone, where Parker now resides, with his family and friends on September 28.
The centenarian says one of the keys to a long life is to stay active. “The best advice is to live cleanly. Everything in moderation,” he said.
First published in the Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News – 10 October 2023