Australia’s oldest living man celebrates 110 years

By Samantha Elley

Last week, Ken Weekes, a resident of Whiddon Grafton celebrated his 110^th birthday with a host of dignitaries, family members and friends.

According to Gerontology Wiki he is the oldest living man in Australia and the seventh oldest in white Australian history.

Advertisements

Kenneth Loxton Weeks was born on 5^th October, 1913 in his grandparents’ home of Braylesford in Dovedale, Grafton to Darcy Edwin Weeks and Dorothy Forster Weeks (nee Loxton), the eldest of five children.

As a young lad he went to Carrs Creek Primary School, then on to Grafton High School.

He was able to celebrate the 100^th anniversary of Grafton High School in 2012 as the oldest living male ex-pupil.

He married Jean McPhee in in 1941 and they had two sons, Ian and Noel.

Ken’s working life was very diverse having tried many different occupations.

Before World War Two he was a road construction worker, a petrol station operator, co-owner of a Chrysler car dealership and ran a repair business in Grafton.

He also drove trucks constructing wartime airfields at Coffs Harbour, Evans Head and Nabiac.

He even worked in the Grafton Match factory.

At the start of the war he applied to join the air force but was knocked back for medical reasons.

Ironically, he now has lived longer than any pilot of his day.

After World War Two he opened a radio and electrical sales and repair business in Prince Street, Grafton. He then tried his hand at running a milk bar.

From there the variety of jobs continued and he became the school bus driver for his brother who ran buses in the Clarence Valley.

His final job before retirement was in the electoral office in Grafton.

A keen fisherman and boat-builder, Ken was secretary of the Clarence River Sailing Club and a member of the Grafton Presbyterian Church including as an elder with the Presbyterian Church of Eastern Australia.

Ken Weekes

In 1957 he built a 38 foot fishing boat called the “Warregai” with the help of a friend.

It was built inside the disused North Coast Steam Navigation Co wharf shed below the Grafton Bowling Club.

During his years of owning the radio and electrical business, he sponsored an interview program on radio 2GF called ‘Men at Work’.

In his nineties Ken would often be seen walking around North and South Grafton.

As he got older and unable to walk as much, he bought himself an electrical tricycle for his 100^th birthday.

He used it right up to the time he entered aged care to Whiddon Grafton on 11 September 2018.

At Whiddon he was the only resident with a computer and used it to write his correspondence as hand-writing became more difficult.

Now in his 111^th year his eyesight has deteriorated that he no longer uses his PC but despite his poor hearing he still keeps up with daily radio and television news.

Celebrations last Thursday on his birthday saw him receive one particularly special present – a can of beans with his face and a personal message on the label.

For more than 30 years Ken Weekes has had a tin of baked beans for breakfast every day.

When Heinz heard about that, they provided 300 cans of this special keepsake.

Ken stands as an example of a full, rounded and well lived life.

For more local Grafton news, click here.