‘Love, laughs, friends’: Elizabeth’s tips for living to 109

The Ipswich resident, who has lived in the same house since 1936, celebrates her birthday today, revealing her long life secret.

Ipswich resident Elizabeth Jordan turns 109 on January 15.

REFLECTING on how she feels about turning 109-years-old, Ipswich's Elizabeth Jordan shows she has not lost any of her wit or sense of humour.

"A little bit aged," she laughed.

The Ipswich resident, who has lived in the same house since 1936, celebrates her birthday on Friday.

Elizabeth Jordan at her home in 2020.

The ninth-oldest person in Australia, born in 1912, will celebrate with family at a function at her grandson's house in Brisbane this afternoon.

The warm and kind-hearted centenarian credited her strong network of family and friends for her longevity.

She is determined to remain living in her old Queenslander which she gets in and out of via a stair lift.

On Thursday she was busy baking an orange cake.

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"I keep myself busy," she said.

"Too busy sometimes.

"I have lots of friends and relations.

"My friendships have got me where I am today. I get lots of phone calls.

"You've got to get out and be with your friends and their friends."

Mrs Jordan likes to stay active but COVID-19 hamstrung the keen bocce and bowls player.

The city's oldest person is just couple of years behind 111-year-old Dexter Kruger of Roma, who is Australia's oldest living resident.

Elizabeth Jordan with her late husband Joseph.

She has lived through two world wars and the Great Depression and moved into her home with her late husband Joseph 85 years ago.

Mrs Jordan has remained in Ipswich for her entire life and has two children, five grandchildren and nine great grandchildren.

Her younger sister turned 100 in July.

She has never touched a drop of alcohol and includes plenty of fruit and vegetables in her diet.

"I've behaved myself," she laughed.

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"It's how I was brought up. My father was very strict. It was good for us."

Mrs Jordan is looking forward to once again entering her knitting and crochet creations into the Ipswich Show this year after last year's event was cancelled.

It is something she had been doing since the 1960s.

Son Peter Jordan, 80, said COVID-19 had meant more time at home than his mum liked.

"She's been quite isolated," he said.

"The bus trips she was going on two or three times a month have all been cancelled.

"Church wasn't meeting. People have not been ready to come and visit because of COVID just to be safe.

"She had major surgery on her face in March to take out a big skin cancer and had a lot of stitches put in. She was only in hospital for one night."

Regular phone calls and video chats allowed her to stay in contact during the pandemic over the past 12 months.

"I've got hearing problems so if we talk to one another quite often you don't hear one another but we just nod heads," Mr Jordan joked.

Read more stories by Lachlan McIvor here.

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