Off the Record: Albany’s Lorna Mullally notches a ton, and meet the Advertiser’s cover girl

TRIPLE FIGURES When the Advertiser spoke to Lorna Mullally on her 90th birthday, she was celebrating the occasion over a round of golf with friends at Grove Park Golf Links. “I hope I can get to 100 — that would be much more impressive because everyone is living until 90 these days,” she said at the time. Well, that was 10 years ago, and the Albany woman has reached her target. She has traded Grove Park Golf Links for makeshift mini-golf courses at Baptistcare Bethel Residential Care in Yakamia, but she is still a model of positive ageing. Ms Mullally turned 100 on August 14, so Off the Record thought it was only right to give her a plug in the local paper for notching a ton. But regular readers of this column will know there was an ulterior motive. As outlined in previous editions, by interviewing those who make it to triple figures, OTR hopes to uncover some of the secrets to longevity. Ms Mullally and her magnificent milestone presented another chance to continue this fact-finding mission. This is a woman who has reached 100 after enduring more than her fair share of adversity. Born in Narrogin, she moved to the Albany area as a teenager, where she met her husband Ned. Together, they raised five children while running a dairy farm in Redmond. However tragedy struck in 1983 when her husband died after a heart attack. It struck again the next year, when she lost her son and daughter-in-law in a road accident, leaving her to bring up two beloved grandchildren. Despite her trials and tribulations, she remains a source of positivity. At her aged care facility in Yakamia, she likes learning new skills and is usually one of the first to put her name down for activities. “I love all the activities they run here, especially cooking, arts and craft, carpet bowls, bingo and obviously mini golf,” Ms Mullally said. “I like to give everything a go.” Ms Mullally was a keen swimmer and tennis player in past years, taking up golf in her 80s when a knee replacement brought an end to her time on the tennis court. It seems one of her keys to longevity is to keep moving as you get older — not really a secret, but an important point nonetheless. Use it or lose it, as they say. When asked how others might stay as physically active as her for as long as she has, she offered two pieces of advice. “You just have to make yourself participate in as much as possible,” she said. “Having a good night’s rest certainly helps.” But staying physically active is only part of the recipe for positive ageing — a process the Australian Psychological Society defines as “maintaining a positive attitude, feeling good about yourself, keeping fit and healthy, and engaging fully in life as you age”. Ms Mullally said there was “nothing fancy” about her approach to enjoying her elderly years. “Just live your life,” she said. “Look after your family and make sure to catch up with friends as much as possible.” COVER GIRL In honour of Daffodil Day this Thursday, Off the Record presents the Advertiser’s very own cover girl, Kate Smith. Ms Smith — now a valued member of the Advertiser’s sales team — appeared on the front page of the paper on September 4, 1974, when she was just 16 years old. Back then, the Daffodil Day fundraiser did not exist in Australia. It was first held in Australia in 1986 and has since has become Cancer Council’s biggest and best-known appeal, raising almost $1.5 million for cancer research last year. Ms Smith’s appearance on the front page coincided with the Albany Horticultural Society’s annual daffodil show held at the Railway Institute Hall. The show attracted 100 entries and it also attracted Ms Smith — then Kay Johnston — an Albany born and raised girl who was just 16 at the time. The photo was a spur-of-the-moment idea by late Advertiser photographer and family friend Ed Schmidt. “Miss Kay Johnson of Emu Point provided an attractive sidelight to this lovely display of daffodils at the Railway Institute Hall last night,” the Advertiser reported at the time. You might notice the misspelling of her surname, Johnston — not the sort of mistake we would make today, obviously. Forty-eight years later, the photo has given OTR a convenient excuse to promote the Daffodil Day cause and pay tribute to Schmidt, the Advertiser photographer who was taken too soon. Schmidt, a talented and gregarious man, died of brain cancer. To donate to Cancer Council’s Daffodil Day appeal, visit daffodilday.com.au/donate.