Willaura Parkland House Hostel resident Alma Sloper has been recognised by the state government following her 101st birthday.
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The Recognising Senior Victorians initiative celebrates notable Victorians living in aged care.
Mrs Sloper has undoubtedly lived a life worth celebrating. She could not have a gathering for her 100th birthday due to COVID-19 but was recently joined by more than 60 family members to mark her 101st birthday.
"We got all the family together, as many that could come. There was plenty of talk," she said.
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Mrs Sloper served as a spotter in World War Two, noting the movement of planes in the area to ensure no enemy aircrafts passed unnoticed.
"All the fit men were being called up and going to war, so the girls had to step in and do something, and they were looking for people to spot enemy planes coming in that no one knew about," she said.
"So they had what they called 'spotters', and they were placed at different locations around Victoria.
"I was in Ellerslie then. They asked me could I do the job. You see a plane and ring up a number to report it, what it was doing and what it looked like. They were all reported to Warrnambool.
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"It was a bit of an anxious time."
Mrs Sloper then moved to Kyabram.
"They asked me would I like to go to work at a cannery in the Golden Valley," she said.
Mrs helped process the peaches and pears that were grown nearby.
"I enjoyed it because of the company," she said.
"They were all girls my of age and they were all nice people. We had said great times."
It was there Mrs Sloper met her late husband, Clarrie. They moved to Lake Bolac, where Mrs Sloper would stay for about 50 years.
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Together they would have eight children.
"That was fun," she said.
"Things were different then. People had different ideas. But we didn't haven't any problems."
Mrs Sloper said she hoped the Recognising Senior Victorians prompted more people to talk about their pasts.
"To get people to talk about what they did. It's a good while ago now and there's not so many older people about," she said.
"People didn't talk about the war after it. They weren't asked about it. But now when it's so long ago people say 'oh, what happened then?'"
For more information on the initiative, visit www.seniorsonline.vic.gov.au/recognising-senior-victorians.
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