Emma Pritchard
When George Smith turned 101 last year, he told the Clarence Valley Independent he would catch up with the local publication again in 2024 while preparing to celebrate his 102nd birthday on March 1.
Still with plenty of sparkle in his eyes, and his familiar steadfast smile and good-natured humour, Mr Smith remains adamant in his belief that the secret to a long and happy life is “no smoking or drinking”, and spending as much time as you can surrounded by people you love.
And he was more than happy to reiterate his sentiments last week when the Clarence Valley Independent caught up with him and his eldest daughter Dianne Dawson at her home in Grafton.
“I just keep going on, and on, and on, and on,” he added with a chuckle.
Born in the southern Tasmanian rural locality of Strathblane, Mr Smith grew up on his family’s dairy farm and later worked in a sawmill where he made timber boxes to transport the island state’s finest apples to England.
At 18, he joined the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) following the outbreak of World War II (WWII) and served as a Fitter 2E working on Curtiss P-40E Kittyhawks.
Describing the American fighters as good planes, Mr Smith spent two years in the tropics including Morotai Island and Labuan after being posted to North Borneo while the Australian forces fought the Japanese troops.
Upon returning to Australia, he married Joan Epps in Swan Hill on September 11, 1946, and the couple settled in Tasmania where they built a house and raised four children, Dianne, Andrea, Ross, and Peter.
The family later relocated to the NSW township of Lightning Ridge where Mr Smith dabbled in opal mining, before moving to the Clarence Valley more than 20 years ago.
After Joan passed away in 2018, Mr Smith continued living independently in his home in Junction Hill prior to moving into Dougherty Villa last year.
He enjoys regular outings with his eldest daughter Dianne, and while he would love to visit Tasmania again, Mr Smith always looks forward to catching up with his family who live there via FaceTime.
As the Clarence Valley Independent farewelled Mr Smith and wished him happy birthday, he cheerfully announced he will see us again next year when he turns 103.