MARY Kirkby will turn 100 on February 24, a milestone she says has arrived almost in a blink.
“It’s hard to believe really. One minute you’re born and next minute, you’re 100,” she said.
Born in Sydney, Mrs Kirkby spent part of her childhood in Hunters Hill and later in the Blue Mountains, where days were filled with outdoor adventure.
“We used to walk the bush tracks and eat the berries and the leaves. We never got lost and we knew every track. We did a terrific amount,” she said.
During World War II, Mrs Kirkby wanted to enlist in the army, but her plans were curtailed by her mother’s objections.
Instead, she channelled her creativity into formal study, completing three years of art training at East Sydney Technical College in Darlinghurst.
Her working life spanned a range of creative roles, from hand-lettered ticket writing for shops to positions at the Government Printing Office and with various art societies.
A versatile artist, Mrs Kirkby works in oils, watercolours and marquetry, with landscapes and seascapes a particular specialty.
Her interest in marquetry began at home.
“Dad worked on the Sydney Opera House and would give me the ends of the wood which I learned to put together,” she said.
Beyond art, she was a keen ballroom dancer for 40 years, crediting dancing and walking with keeping her fit.
“I never played sport much, but I’ve always been a walker,” she said.
Now living independently in Capalaba, Mrs Kirkby continues to walk regularly, paint, crochet and, as she puts it, enjoy “eating my own cooking”.
She is a long-standing member of the Redlands Yurara Art Society and has held several solo exhibitions over the years.
Her work has been exhibited around Australia, with pieces held in private collections both locally and in the US.
Mrs Kirkby is the matriarch of a large family, with three daughters, seven grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.
Her youngest daughter, Cynthia McClusky of Ormiston, describes her mother as “strong and independent”.
“She doesn’t rely on anyone,” Ms McClusky said.
“She just gets on with life. There is no stopping her.”
Mrs Kirkby will mark her 100th birthday with a family barbecue, a gathering of family and friends at St Andrew’s Church Hall in Ormiston, and a celebratory ride on the big wheel at South Bank.
