By ALANA MITCHELSON
A PAKENHAM woman celebrated her 100-year birthday milestone last week, receiving her letter from the Queen.
English-born Joan Armitage lost both her mother and father as an infant and spent 18 months in an orphanage before being brought up in the Taylor family in Birmingham.
Artistically minded, Ms Armitage joined amateur drama societies during her adolescence and later studied art at Mosley School of Art, where she met her future husband George.
She married at age 22 and had two sons, Roy and Anthony. The young couple bought a general store and the next five years would be trying times for the family.
Ms Armitage took it upon herself to run the shop which proved profitable, while George worked full-time as an artist.
After selling the business, Ms Armitage found some time on her hands to join the Women’s Volunteer Service where her energy and foresight saw her rise through the ranks and become the area supervisor.
During this time, George formed a small printing business and, to add to her workload, she became the company secretary.
But life remained difficult in England and the family made the big decision to emigrate to Australia in 1955.
Ms Armitage studied chiropody and later opened her own chiropody clinic, again becoming a busy lady.
But 10 years later, tragedy struck the family.
Ms Armitage’s youngest son Anthony was struck by a car and killed a short distance from their home.
His loss greatly affected her and the couple decided to buy a holiday house in Beaconsfield. This house became a country retreat for her and George to light a fire and paint Australian landscapes.
They loved the area so much that they made the permanent move a few years later.
Roy describe his mother as a “great organiser”.
“She was always very active,” he said.
“She would go and talk to all the neighbours and she formed the Friendship Club in Beaconsfield. It became a gossip club.
“And with the help of dad’s printing press, she started the quarterly community newsletter The Beaconsfield Banner that is still being printed today.
“Even after they both retired, they adopted roles at the Berwick Senior Citizens’ Club.”
Ms Armitage celebrated her 100th birthday at Millhaven Lodge on 28 June with a special visit from Lorna Dudley – her pen pal of 25 years – from England.
Roy presented each guest with one of Ms Armitage’s beautiful artworks as a precious memento of the occasion.
