MURIEL Barltrop has been all around South Australia since arriving from England in 1950, and on Friday, after living in Gawler for nearly 30 years, she celebrated her 100th birthday surrounded by friends.

Ms Bartrop spent various lengths of time in Glenelg, Payneham, Elizabeth and Moonta Bay before finally settling in Gawler in the 1990s, where her daughter had moved after getting married.

After first buying a unit on Paterson Terrace, Ms Bartrop moved into Gawler Community Retirement Homes’ Elimatta Village where she found herself in a tight-knit little community, and she reflected on how the area has changed in her time there.

“When I first got here I had a very nice neighbour who came and welcomed me – I’ll always be thankful for her kindness,” Ms Bartrop said.

“Gawler was like a country town when I arrived here, and it’s still a bit like that I guess – you’ll see somebody in the street and they’ll smile at you and say good morning.

“People who work in the shops are very friendly, and if they haven’t got what you’re looking for, they’ll always try and get it for you, which is something you can take for granted.

“But it’s grown so big now – and don’t get me started on the traffic.”

Ms Bartrop said although she had lived through the war in London, she thinks COVID-19 has been even worse.

“At least during the war nobody lost their jobs,” she said.

“Sure if the siren went off you’d have to rush to shelter, but other than that it didn’t get in the way of everyone’s day-to-day lives like this has.”

Letters have been flooding in from all corners, with Ms Bartrop saying “you name it, I’ve got it”.

“I’ve got one from the Prime Minister, one from the Queen, one from the opposition – it’s very nice, but I’m sure they just have their receptionists send them out,” she said.

As for any advice for the younger generations, Ms Bartrop said, simply, “don’t smoke, get a job, and work hard.”