Biloela’s Grace Sneath celebrates 103rd birthday the country way

A proud country girl and keen Central Queensland horsewoman who drove her own car until she was 95 has celebrated her 103rd birthday with her favourite “simple pleasure” in life.

Biloela's Grace Sneath celebrates turning 103 on Tuesday, November 5, 2024.

Proud country girl Grace Sneath loves nothing more than the simple pleasure of a cup of tea, so when she turned 103 on Tuesday, that was the order of the day.

And cake of course!

With “cake and a cuppa” Central Queensland’s amazing Grace, a keen horsewoman and talented pianist, celebrated the milestone at her Biloela home at Lutheran Services’ Wahroonga Aged Care with family and the close-knit community there.

Grace (nee Banks) was born at Mannum in South Australia beside the Murray River, on November 5, 1921 — the year the first circumnavigation of Australia by air was completed.

Grace Sneath and younger brother Dennis.

It was also the year that Bert Hinkler set a new flying record, travelling the 1300km journey from Sydney to Bundaberg, Queensland, in his Baby Avro aircraft in eight hours and 40 minutes.

Grace married dairy farmer Ernest Sneath in 1942 and 12 years later they moved their young family to Queensland and settled on a 2000-hectare property near Banana, 45km west of Biloela.

Ernest and Grace Sneath.

There they raised cattle and grew crops, and lived in a humble house without electricity.

Grace became a “townie” for the first time in her life when she moved into a house in Biloela in 2007 after she had been a widow for 23 years.

Earlier this year, she became a resident at Wahroonga Aged Care and its service manager, Donelle Kralovic, said Grace was a much-loved member of the close-knit community there.

“Our dedicated team love to share these joyful occasions when we celebrate our remarkable residents like Grace,” Ms Kralovic said.

“A 103rd birthday is a momentous milestone and reminds us of the privilege it is to share their life stories.”

Grace Sneath celebrates turning 103 with her daughter Jynette Brumpton.

Grace’s daughter Jynette Brumpton said despite what must have been a very hard go, her mother always maintained she had enjoyed a blessed life.

“Mum has such a positive outlook and strong faith, her motto has always been ‘make the best of every situation’,’’ Jynette said.

“Mum adores the caring staff at Wahroonga and always comments how kind they are and how well looked after she is.

“She has made many friends here but I don’t think she ever met anyone she didn’t like in her long life.’’

Grace, the matriarch of her close family of four children, four grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren, is looking forward to celebrating with them soon.

Grace Sneath feeding calves in 1956 at Banana in Central Queensland.

“She has been a wonderful mother and a devoted grandmother,” Jynette said.

“One of my fondest memories of mum, a talented pianist, is listening to her enjoy the piano and she continued to play until last Christmas,’’ Jynette said.

“A wonderful cook, she baked cakes for the Ladies’ Guild street stalls in Banana in the 1960s and they raised enough money to build a church in the town.

“Mum only learnt to drive at the age of 65 and continued driving until she was 95.

Grace Sneath with a new car in 1990, a year after first getting her driver's licence aged 65.

“Dad had always discouraged mum, a fabulous horsewoman, from driving saying she was too reckless on a horse to drive a car.’’

While always a keen horsewoman, Grace doesn’t follow horse racing so the coincidence of it being Melbourne Cup day on Tuesday was no distraction as Jynette explained.

“Mum had too many visitors yesterday bringing flowers to watch the Cup,” Jynette said.