The Cowra community is celebrating a remarkable milestone as Dorothy Flannery, a much-loved and deeply respected matriarch, marks her 100th birthday.
Surrounded by her large and devoted family, Dorothy’s centenary is not only a moment of joy for her relatives but also a reflection on a life filled with family, resilience, and commitment to her community.
Dorothy’s son, Michael Flannery, spoke of the significance of the occasion for the family.
“It’s fantastic, nearly all of us are getting there,” Mr Flannery said.
“My son’s come back from New York, and her family is coming back from all over the place, Queensland, Singapore, and there was about 70 of us at the rugby club on Saturday.”
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“She had six children all around with her husband, my dad.
“Those six kids had 21 grandkids, and the 21 grandkids [have had] about 30 odd great grandkids now.”
“So very large family and everyone loves her very much.”
“So it’s a great milestone,” he said.
The birthday has prompted a reunion of sorts, with family members traveling internationally and interstate to join in the celebrations.
Mr Flannery also reflected on his memories growing up on the family’s property at Cucum South, halfway to Boorowa.
“I remember growing up on a farm with lots of siblings and four older sisters,” Mr Flannery said.
“Mum taught us when we were small, mum taught us all correspondence school, before we started to go down to school.”
“I remember the freedom of living hopefully in the country,” he said.
That sense of freedom and family connection is something Dorothy instilled in her children, shaping their lives as they in turn raised their own families.
Reaching a century means Dorothy has witnessed an extraordinary sweep of history.
From the introduction of motor vehicles and electricity to the digital revolution of the internet and smartphones, she has lived through times of enormous transformation.
“A long time when you think about cars coming in and electricity coming in, and the huge changes with the internet and mobile phones,” Mr Flannery said.
“She’s got one grandson living in New York, a grandson living in Europe.”
“She can ring him on her phone and talk to him and see him on the phone.”
“Same with other kids in England, London, and places around her.”
“She’s lived through huge changes,” he said.
Though Dorothy was born in Parkes, her life became firmly intertwined with Cowra after marrying her husband, John Flannery, whom she met during the Second World War.
John was a pilot stationed in Parkes, and Dorothy served in the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (WAAAF).
“She met him there when she was 18 years old and got married not long after that, and moved to our original property where we lived nearly 100 years, between Boorowa and Cowra, Cucum South,” Mr Flannery said.
Together they raised their six children and built a life rooted in family, farming, and community.
Dorothy has also been an active member of the Cowra community over the decades.
She was a keen golfer, playing with the Cowra Ladies Golf Club for over 40 years.
When she stepped back from golf, she took up bridge, another passion she enjoyed for decades.
“She played golf in Cowra with the Ladies Golf Club for about 40 odd years and loved that,” Mr Flannery said.
“As she got older, she took up bridge about 40 years ago, and has been playing ever since, until recently, when her hands weren’t able to hold the cards.”
Her love for sport and social activities reflects her outgoing and community-minded nature.
Perhaps Dorothy’s greatest legacy, however, lies in her family.
With six children, 21 grandchildren, and about 30 great-grandchildren, her family tree is both vast and vibrant.
Michael highlighted the multicultural nature of their extended family:
“As I said, that number of kids, they’re coming from all over the world, Japan, England, America, Queensland,” Mr Flannery said.
“The second generation have married into 17 different nationalities.
“We are a very, very multicultural family.”
Dorothy is celebrated not only as a mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother but also as a figure of inspiration within the wider community.
Loved dearly by her family and respected for her warmth and resilience, she is also grateful for the care and kindness she receives at Bilyara Aged Care, where she now resides.
Her 100th birthday is a remarkable milestone in every sense, an occasion to look back on a century of life, love, and change, while also celebrating the enduring bonds of family.
As her son, Mr Flannery, so perfectly put it, “she’s very popular, and everyone loves her very much”.
“Bilyara has been so perfect and kind to her as well, so this is a great milestone,” he said.
