Home is where the heart is

As we age, staying active and connected to community is crucial. Betty, who lives independently at 105, credits her community work and crosswords with keeping her sharp.

- GENEVIEVE GANNON

Betty Gemmell has always been fiercely independent. She was born on her grandparent’s property near Berrigan, in the Riverina, in 1917, and inherited a knack for numbers from her accountant father. When World War II broke out she became one of Australia’s first female bank tellers. Like many young women at the time, she considered going into nursing, but the local bank manager convinced her that the best way she could contribute to the war effort would be using her skill with numbers.

“They said to her, We need you. This would be your war effort because all the men have gone off for war’,” Betty’s niece, Vicki, recalls.

“She tells a story about having to take the cash from the bank. She had to carry a pistol. There was one time in Deniliquin when the bank manager couldn’t get in, so she had to sleep in the bank with a revolver under her pillow.”

Now 105, Betty still cherishes her independence. The Mosman local loves going to Balmoral Beach and has a penchant for politics and crosswords. She sets aside time each week to knit woollen bears, which she donates to children in hospital. The task keeps her mind sharp, and ensures she’s engaged with the community.

Betty understands that it is important to keep herself active, so that she can continue to live independently, in her own home.

“I 'm a very, very lucky person to still have my memory active and I think I give that to my weekly crosswords,” Betty says.