This week we caught up with the wonderful Elizabeth Selmes.

Age: 84

Where were you born? Warren, NSW

If you could describe your life in one sentence, that would it be? Well all my life was Nursing; I did 47 years of it at the Orange base.

What are the most important lessons you've learned in life? Just be nice to everybody.

What’s the secret to a happy marriage? Just be truthful.

What events were the most memorable in your life? Racing motor cars! I had a racing licence. We used to go to different towns and raced at the Gnoo Blas, we mostly raced in Bathurst. My husband raced more than I did, he had a garage and was interested in all that kind of stuff. We brought an FJ Holden which my son has still got and is what we raced originally, then I brought one for myself.

He gave up racing the day that I beat him *laughs* I didn’t win many... or any... but the most important one was the one I beat him. I only beat him by a few minutes, he threw his hands up and said, ‘That’s it! I’m not racing anymore!’ and he never did either.

What took you a long time to learn? Well nursing was learning all the time so that was the biggest thing for me.

What is your favourite childhood memory? Going to Dubbo and having holidays with my Grandmother. We learnt to swim in the Dubbo pool when we were little, we would come up for almost all holidays, they are only about an hour and a half apart.

What did you want to be when you grew up? I don’t really know, it was whatever would come up next for me.

What was your first job? After school and on weekends I worked at a furniture shop and did interior decorating. After that I went and worked at Email and did that for a while but then nursing took over.

What are you most proud of? My children and them all having good jobs.

Did you get an allowance? No, it was only ever what I earnt from working, it was very little, but we lived on it. I can remember Mum having the food tickets and petrol tickets.

Who is the person who influenced your life the most? Why? My husband, he was always kind, he respected me and relied on me to do his bills and the admin work *laughs*

If you could tell your teenage self-something what would it be? Oh, that’s a hard one... get into nursing earlier instead of wasting my time at the factory, I think. I enjoyed giving the patients care and watching them get better and them appreciating the care we were giving them.

I only retired a few years ago, I worked at the new hospital too, I was in Medical B ward there.

What is your favourite thing to do for fun now? I enjoy having a play on the iPad with some games and I enjoy quizzes.