When Jack Anderson was born on the 9th of February 1921, the world was only just recovering from the Spanish Flu, the first pandemic of the modern era.
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A keen cricketer Jack has weathered storms, droughts, pandemics and several wars to reach the milestone of a century, not out.
Mr Anderson who spent his entire life working hard on the family property Kentucky, south of Neville, puts his longevity down to one simple secret.
"It's all about having a good family," he said. "They're all so good."
That family differs though in their estimations as to why, by a long shot, he's the longest living Anderson.
"It's a mixture of very hard work, doing fencing, rabbit trapping and shooting and having a whiskey and milk every night," said his daughter Jeniene Davis.
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"Most of the other Anderson's all died in their mid 60's.
"Jack's only had a heart valve replaced and two knee reconstructions and that was when he was in his mid 80's."
His son David Anderson said there was one other reason why he has lasted so long.
"He married someone who was 15 years younger than him," he said. "That's kept him youthful."
Like many men of his vintage he served overseas during the Second World War, in New Guinea and New Britain.
On his return from service in the Ambulance Corp in both fields of war, the family never really spoke of his service there, as that was how it was, but the grandchildren have since been asking him about what happened.
"They know more about what he did there than we have ever known," Jeniene said. "They just never talked about it until recently."
Jack and Barbara had eight children of their own, 27 grandchildren, 41 great grandchildren and recently notched up a great, great grandchild.
"For a couple, they've done a lot of damage," joked David Anderson.
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Mark Logan
Started working in newspapers in the 1990's in the darkroom of the Pastoral Times in Deniliquin before moving to Millthorpe in 2003. Soon after arriving I started as a photographer at the CWD. Now a journalist at the Blayney Chronicle.
Started working in newspapers in the 1990's in the darkroom of the Pastoral Times in Deniliquin before moving to Millthorpe in 2003. Soon after arriving I started as a photographer at the CWD. Now a journalist at the Blayney Chronicle.
