This week I caught up with the very cheeky Colleen Quigg. At the time of our interview, Colleen was highly anticipating ‘Happy Hour’, greeting me with a, ‘CHEERS’. A truly beautiful soul, I hope you enjoy this interview as much as I did!

Age: Too old, *laughs* I was born in 1933, I’m ancient, that’s what I tell people.

Where were you born? Napier, New Zealand

If you could describe your life in one sentence, that would it be? Hectic, sad and happy!

How did you come to live in Australia? I did night duty as a Nurse for 13 years. My boys (I had five), they all one by one wanted to come and see Australia, three of them decided they wanted to stay here. My husband and I came for a holiday and I really liked it.

I decided to come to Australia to live, I got a job at Western Suburbs Hospital in the kitchen, doing the tray ladies job, which is all about diets and things like that. I thoroughly enjoyed it, it was something totally different to what I was used to, doing rotten night duty, coming home, getting five kids off to school, doing all that sort of stuff.

In Australia, I liked, more or less the freedom, I suppose it was because all my life I was always at this place at this time and on time, wherever, the kids had interviews I’d be here, It was just hectic for a while. In Australia, I was just enjoying myself, and being free.

Can you recall your naughtiest moment as a child? It was when I was in high school, we had a teacher and she was a real nagger. So, that weekend (I would spend most of my time down at the beach, because that’s where we lived). They had a rock pool there, I would catch crabs, I looked at this big beauty and I thought, ‘Ooh, I’ll take you to school’, and that’s what I did. I put it in the Teachers chalk box, she said oh good morning everyone she picked up her chalk and ‘Ahhh’!! *laughs*all the kids laughed, she said, ‘Who did this!?’ I stood up I took the blame because I did it! I couldn’t help it I love it *laughs*

What is your favourite childhood memory? Coming home late from the rock pools and my Father was putting a new baton on the fence, he told me that I was late, I should have been home at this time, so I called him… something... and I was off, he chased me around the yard with the bit of the fence, *laughs* I didn’t go home for an hour, I knew he’d be calm after then.

What was your first job? When I got my own house I got a bit of land, I planted 2 acres of violets, I would pick them every morning, put them in bunches, 12 to a bunch with three leaves, tie them up and then I would put them in water until I got enough, I’d take them to the Florist and she would send them off to the markets for me, I was only getting a few dollars for it, but I was quite happy with that.

What are you most proud of? I’m most proud of my Mother for having the patience to bring me up, because I was a bugger of a kid. *laughs*

Who is the person who influenced your life the most? Why? My Mother, she always had good advice for me, you know... I was a lot like her. She always said to me, be yourself, you can’t change yourself, be yourself, and you’ll be alright.

What is your favourite thing to do for fun now? I love happy hour, I have my large plastic wine cup each Thursday. I get it filled half wine and the other half lemonade. I’m lining up first every week, but I never come empty handed, I always bring some chips. *laughs* My Mother taught me that, she said, ‘never go visiting without taking something.’

What you see is what you get with me. I love being naughty and I love being here (St Francis Aged Care). Sometimes I think, I’ll run away... *laughs* just having an off day that we all get, then I think ‘by Gee’ I’m lucky, I’ve got a roof over my head, meals every day, a bed to sleep in.

What do you think makes the world a better place? If people would just be polite and kind to one another. It’s very nice to get little presents here and there, but I get my thrill out of buying something for someone I know they will like. I really enjoy giving instead of taking.