NAMBUCCA Valley resident Muriel Milton Fuller marked her 100th birthday last week, surrounded by family and friends at a special celebration held at the Nambucca Heads RSL Club.
The milestone celebration was not only a tribute to Muriel’s longevity, but also a reflection of a life filled with love, faith and generosity.
Muriel was born on 17 July 1925, the coldest day of the year in South Africa, to Scottish parents William and Charlotte Scott.
At the age of two, her family migrated to Australia, where she would grow up through the hardships of the Great Depression and World War II.
Despite those challenges, Muriel often recalls the joy and kindness that defined her early years.
Her daughter Jenny, who delivered a heartfelt speech and poem at the celebration, shared that her mother experienced more in her first few decades than many do in a lifetime.
As a child, Muriel sailed to Britain, spending a year at school in Scotland.
She returned again as a young woman to live with family, both trips undertaken by sea, long before international air travel was common.
Muriel married and had two sons before settling in Nambucca Heads in 1958, where the family purchased a local pharmacy.
Life was full and busy – raising children, managing the shop, and actively engaging in the community.
She joined the CWA and the Red Cross, played the organ at the Methodist Church, and contributed her mezzo-soprano singing voice to countless community events, never once accepting payment.
Recalling one particularly memorable performance, Jenny told News Of The Area, “Mum sang Mary’s Boy Child at the School of Arts and there weren’t many dry eyes in the audience that night.”
Muriel’s contributions have always extended well beyond her talents.
Known for her kindness and generosity, she was the person who arrived with a casserole or apple pie when someone in the community was unwell or grieving.
Her family, too, has been the recipient of her practical care, with countless hand-sewn and knitted garments for children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
“She often says she hasn’t achieved anything great in her life, and yet she has given so much to so many, and continues to do so,” Jenny added.
In keeping with Muriel’s tradition of writing poems for others on special occasions, during the birthday celebration Jenny encapsulated her mother’s life with a poem of her own, paying tribute to a life of courage, compassion, and quiet strength.
Muriel Fuller’s 100th birthday was not just a celebration of years, but of the enduring impact one person can have through simple acts of love, faith, and community service.
As she begins her second century, Muriel continues to be an inspiration to all who know her.
By Mick BIRTLES
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