A Brisbane woman who lived through the London bombing blitz during World War II is now a centenarian.
Olive Woods, who lives at the Carinity Wishart Gardens aged care home, celebrated her 100th birthday on 2 September.
The second eldest of 10 children, she was born Olive Rushworth in Bermondsey, London in 1926.
When she was 10 years old, Olive witnessed the abdication of Edward VIII and the coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth.
War came upon Britain in 1939, so 13-year-old Olive was evacuated to rural Devon in England with three other siblings - ranging from four to 10 years - for whom she was responsible.
Olive returned to London when she was 14. She got her first job at Peek Freans biscuit factory, working there during the bombing raids of World War II.
When she was 17, Olive joined the Women's Land Army working on farms to feed Britain, which she always said was one of the best times of her life.
During this time Olive met her future husband, Don Woods, in Wateringbury in Kent. Don was in the army and had just returned from five years as a prisoner of war in Germany when he called into the Land Army hostel to visit someone he knew.
Don and Olive got talking and Don asked her out; for their first date they attended a show in London. The couple became engaged in 1947 and got married the following year.
The Woods became some of the many 'Ten Pounds Poms' who immigrated to Australia after the war ended, settling in Brisbane in 1949. They bought their first house at Upper Mt. Gravatt where they raised two children.
Olive worked for David Jones for many years and, when she retired in 1986, joined the Mt. Gravatt Bowls Club, which she loved. The highlight of her time playing lawn bowls was winning the yearly pennants in 2003 for the club.
She also joined the Garden City Walkers Club and, for three mornings a week for years, enjoyed exercising with over 100 other walkers.
Olive and Don were married for 73 wonderful years before he passed but she still has her two children, four grandchildren and six great-grandchildren constantly around her.
She moved into Carinity Wishart Gardens last year and enjoyed her 100th birthday celebration with her family at the aged care home.
