One hundred years ago, the Sydney Harbour Bridge did not exist, there was no such thing as a television and only one in every 24 Victorians owned a motor vehicle.
These are just some of the monumental changes Roma Wood has witnessed in the past century, and while it is hard to imagine experiencing it all in one lifetime, Roma has lived through World War II, The Great Depression and Covid-19.
The Seasons resident celebrated her 100th birthday on January 26, with family, friends and Seasons staff travelling from all over to attend a party at the Sinnamon Park community.
To celebrate the special milestone and despite Roma’s request for no gifts, she received beautiful bouquets of flowers and a cake made by a Seasons staff member.
“It’s not until you look back over all those years that you realise just how much has happened but just how short life is too,” Roma said.
“I have been very fortunate to have had a wonderful life and a wonderful childhood which makes a big difference.”
Growing up on the small seaside town of Dromana on the Mornington Peninsula, Roma believes her parents and the love they provided her from a young age contributed to the active, enthusiastic and caring person she is today.
Alongside her three siblings, Roma spent almost every day of the summer at the beach, coming home only for mealtimes, and relied on the saltwater to heal any wounds she had sustained on her adventures.
“Our parents loved us all dearly and my mother particularly always had time to spare for us… no matter how busy she was, she was always making sure we were happy,” Roma said.
“I learned later in life that our mother would stay up until three o’clock in the morning sewing clothes for us and that was after she spent most of the daytime running around after us.
“Lifestyles were completely different back then to what it’s like now because we never had processed foods, we walked everywhere and we played sport just for the fun of it.”
Attending school up until Grade 8, Roma said children rarely progressed beyond that point in their schooling years as most families could not afford the bus fare.
After graduating, Roma struggled to find work in her small hometown but eventually began working at the local post office where she would deliver the town mail on pushbike, before she was promoted to counter work and later became a telephonist.
Eager to see other parts of the world and despite her mother’s concerns, Roma ventured out to the big city at the age of 14 to live with her aunt.
Working up until she was married as a clerical worker, Roma and her late husband shared 60 years of marriage together, two children and several grandchildren.
Living in Victoria for the majority of their lives, Roma and her husband relocated to Queensland to be closer to their daughter and her family, and eventually moved into a Seasons community, where Roma has called home ever since.
Over the years, the centenarian has travelled to the U.S., across the country in a caravan and made plenty of special friendships along the way.
A special moment she will always cherish was when she miraculously reconnected with former marines who she had initially met when they visited Australia for recreational leave during the war.
When peace was declared, the group lost touch but eventually tracked each other down again after 40 years and despite being separated by the Pacific Ocean.
“It’s hard to keep track of everything that has happened… I mean my life started during the horse and buggy stage and before motor cars came along,” Roma said.
“I remember the first aeroplane we ever saw was a flimsy looking thing and we were amazed when we watched it land on a large paddock in town which belonged to the local butcher.
“Life was very different during the war and that really affected us all, but I have been very fortunate to have lived such a long and healthy life.”
It seems great genes run in the family with Roma’s younger brother set to join her in the 100 club next year.
Sharing her pearls of wisdom, Roma said if she met her younger self today, she would tell them to always be kind to others, avoid saying hurtful things which cannot be taken back, to take people as they are and to be yourself freely.
“I live by those mottos every day because it’s the way my mother taught me,” she said.
“She was a firm believer that if you haven’t got something nice to say about someone, you shouldn’t say anything at all.”
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