Colin Wagener, Adelaide’s oldest War War II veteran is turning 107, and says he has ‘no use-by date’

Colin Wagener, South Australia’s oldest World War II vet, won the hearts of the nation last Anzac Day. On Monday, the remarkable man turns 107.

Aged 107, Colin Wagener “feels no different” than he did at 100 – or even 90 for that matter. After all, he jokes, he hasn’t got a “use-by date”.

The state’s oldest surviving World War II veteran still lives on his 24-hectare Adelaide Hills property, still rides his motorbike, still does routine maintenance on farm vehicles and still chops his own wood – only, he points out, these days he uses an “electric saw” rather than an axe.

Colin Wagener pictured during WWII. Picture: supplied

“I haven’t got anything wrong with me, no use-by date … all I am doing is slowing down,” he tells The Advertiser during an early celebration of today’s birthday in Stirling.

“(A while back) I had to have an X-ray as I’d had done my hip in from kickstarting too many motorbikes … the fellow said to me, ‘your bones don’t match your body, they are a lot younger than they should be’ … I was quite pleased about that.”

Mr Wagener, who was born during WWI and has lived through the Depression and 25 Prime Ministers – listing Ben Chifley (1945 to 1949) as his top PM pick – says arriving home from war to Adelaide on Christmas morning in 1945 is his life’s standout memory.

“After six years at war, I will never forget it … we arrived home about 10.30am after a ticker-tape parade in Brisbane and it was the best Christmas ever,” he says.

Among his happiest childhood recollections was being given a motorbike by his dad for his 16th birthday which he rode to his inner-city school just once.

“It had a beautiful chrome tank on it, the school kids loved it and all gathered around me but I saw the headmaster, who was stuck in the horse and buggy days, frothing at the mouth,” he says with a cheeky glint in his eye.

A young Mr Wagener, aged 16, dressed in his Pulteney Grammar School uniform, ready to ride to school. Picture: Supplied

Mr Wagener’s love of motorbikes and cars has lasted a lifetime. Picture: Supplied

Luckily there were plenty of “goat tracks by the Torrens at the back of the zoo” for him to ride on instead.

At 17 he decided to build himself a car – a look-alike MG – as “there weren’t many around”.

His love of all things car-related has lasted a lifetime and taken him around the globe to compete in rallies, driving a passion for all manner of vehicles from an Austin 7 to an early modelBugatti.

Mr Wagener is the state's oldest surviving World War II veteran, he turned 107 on Monday, December 2. Picture: Kelly Barnes

Mr Wagener, who wed his late sweetheart Peggy in 1941 on a four-hour leave from the army, says he’s always been captivated by the radio, recalling making his own as a young fellow.

“We made everything. I am sorry for the kids now, because they can’t do that, they don’t know the thrill of making a radio … you had to buy a valve (amplifier) and make your own coils,” he says.

Colin Wagener and his late sweetheart Peggy, who he married in 1941, on a four-hour leave pass from the Army. Picture: supplied

He reflects on a memorable road trip as a nine-year-old with his family to Canberra for the opening of the nation’s original Parliament House in 1927.

The lover of Tim Tams shares how as a teenager the “big thing” on a night out was to get a milkshake on the Parade at Norwood, while “sand-skiing behind a car at Sellicks Beach” was another favourite pastime.

Mr Wagener said some of his favourite pastime activities include ‘sand-skiing’ at Sellicks and grabbing a milkshake on the Parade. Picture: Supplied

Mr Wagener is proud to have opened Adelaide’s first motel, the Princes Highway Motel on Glen Osmond Rd in 1962, before a flurry of roadside hotels were established.

Affable and quick-witted, Mr Wagener quickly wins the hearts of customers at the Essence Cafe who join in singing “happy birthday” and give him flowers during this interview.

SA’s Minister for Veterans Joe Szakacs is planning to visit Mr Wagener today to convey his congratulations face-to-face: “His dedication, bravery, and commitment to both his country and community have left an indelible mark on South Australia.

“His life is a testament to resilience, hard work, and a love of adventure that continues to inspire those around him.”