Albany centenarian Valmai Hanna reveals the secret to her long life is to “find something best in every day”

Surrounded by presents, balloons and family who have travelled thousands of kilometres to see her, 100-year-old Valmai Hanna admits the secret to a good, long life is “find something best in everyday”. The Albany great-grandmother, who celebrated her century birthday on Tuesday, attributed practising daily gratitude to her old age. Born in Sydney in 1925 as Valmai St Clair, Ms Hanna was one of the first people to walk on the Sydney Harbour Bridge when it opened in 1932. She was among the earliest cohorts of physiotherapists, graduating in 1945 as World War II came to an end, before catching a passenger boat to the UK. In London, medical professionals came from all around the world to watch her perform the first documented physio treatment on a hip replacement, an experience she described as “nerve wracking”. After marrying Katanning-born naval aviator Jack Hanna, she gave birth to six children, moving them across the world with each of his postings, including a long stint in Papua New Guinea. Eventually, the family settled on a Kojonup sheep farm in the 1960s, where Ms Hanna worked hard to keep the acreage and her family ticking over smoothly. The couple relocated to Albany in the 1980s, living in Middleton Beach before Mr Hanna passed away in 1999 with Ms Hanna moving into the Air Force Association’s Amity Retirement Village when it was first built. Celebrating in the village clubrooms with family that had travelled from the Eastern States, northern WA and the UK for the big day, Ms Hanna said it was an easy day to be grateful. “It’s a good life,” she said. “But the big secret is always find something best in every day — if you can do that, you’ll live a long time. “The whole world has been good to me.” Her son Julian read out a bush poem he penned for the occasion, entitled Super Mum, describing his mother as “steady as Gibraltar” and recalling her level-headed demeanour completing domestic and farm chores, raising her family and exploring her hobbies of painting, geology and English history. “Super mum is super knowing, but not in a noble way,” he read. “She’s meek and mild and modest, and I think that’s how she’ll stay. “Super Mum is getting old now, and some might even murmur frail. “But I see Mum as bright-eyed with a hidden, plumy tail. “So let’s all pluck a feather, and let’s hold it to the sun. “Let’s think about the years gone by and what’s been lost and won.” Joined by four of her six children, 10 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren, Ms Hanna said she felt “very special” as the woman of the hour, and was thrilled to show off her letter from King Charles III and Queen Camilla. The newly minted 100-year-old said was happy to see the royal “all grown up”. “I’ll tell you what, I remember being in London at the palace for some event and looking up there was a little boy leaning all the way over the balcony,” she said. “You could see the Queen, she had hold of him by the back of his shirt and was holding him in but he was fidgeting and trying to get away. “Now I’ve got a letter from him as the King!”