By KATH GANNAWAY
IT’S taken Warburton resident Rita Mentiplay a long time to get to 100 and although she still has a few days to go she is making the most of it.
On 4 May she was the guest of honour at a surprise lunch given by the Upper Yarra Legacy Widows Social Club and on Tuesday she got THE card – a congratulations from Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, simply signed ‘Elizabeth’.
Officially she turns 100 on Sunday 15 May and is looking forward to more celebrations with her family and friends.
Australia is lucky to have Rita and Warburton is especially lucky to have the Scottish-born lassie who arrived here in 1947 with husband David and daughter Greta.
Their son, Sandy, arrived soon after.
Asked about what she would say to her 14-year-old self, Rita said she would have told her not to go to Australia.
“My ambition as a girl was to go to Canada,” she said showing from an early age a keen sense of adventure and an independent mind which have stayed with her all her life.
“My husband had to do a lot of talking to get me to come here,” she said of her late husband, and added that although it took a bit of getting used to, it had grown on her.
“I’ve been very happy here,” she said, adding that moving to Warburton in 1953 was the start of a new era in her life, a new way of life, and many, many friends.
After working in the town’s bakery for a number of years, Dave and Rita teamed up with Greta and her husband, Ken Miller, to buy the bakery.
Rita had always been a hard worker from when she left school to work as a weaver in the local linen factory to working at the Warburton hospital when they first moved to the town.
The bakery was the start of a whole new career.
“I got up in the morning and sliced the bread through the machine, then Dave would load up the van and I would deliver the bread all around the township,” she said.
There was no sliced bread when they first took, she recalled. There were the high-tins, Vienna, French loaves and cottage loaves, all wrapped in wax paper – no plastic bags back then!
Rita said she knew virtually everyone and everyone knew her.
“Little kids, especially, loved the bread van,” she said.
“We used to give them a bun… they would be just waiting on the baker’s van.”
Her connection with the youngsters of the town continued after they sold the business and she went to work at the local primary school. She worked there until she retired at 65.
Surrounded by flowers and cards ahead of her big day, Rita said she was a little overwhelmed by all the attention – and she is not even 100 yet!
“Lunch with the Legacy ladies was such a big surprise,” she said.
Her Scottish heritage was recognised with a piper ensuring she made a grand entrance, and she had pride of place at the top of the table with the Legacy executives.
“It’s just not me at all,” she said of being the centre of attention.
As for Her Majesty’s birthday wishes, Rita is an avid royalist and was chuffed to receive a card from a woman whose lives have run almost parallel in time.
Having worked hard all her life, raised a family, including 18 grandchildren, great grandchildren and great-great grandchildren, Rita said life, so far, has been good.
“I’ve travelled, made many, many friends, been here, there and everywhere with the bowling club… I’ve lived a full life,” she said, adding that she is looking forward to another wonderful party on Sunday.
