Farewell to beloved bush matriarch

She travelled by Cobb & Co coach in her youth, became a well-respected nurse and raised a family on the land. Vale, Mildred Phipps, 105, one of the state’s oldest residents.

Mildred Phipps on her 105th birthday with her grandson Tom Phipps.

One of the oldest Queenslanders to live independently in a retirement village has died at the grand age of 105 after leading a colourful life on the land.

Mildred Phipps, who lived at the Carinity Hilltop Gardens seniors’ community in Kelvin Grove, was born Mildred Wehl in Toowoomba on February 11, 1915.

She grew up on a sheep property outside Surat during World War I at a time when life was hard, simple but rewarding.

Mildred’s son David Phipps said his mother had a very happy bush childhood with her five siblings.

“She was an expert horse woman and took part in station life – mustering, shearing, handling cattle,” Mr Phipps said.

“Life was simple with no electricity, no refrigeration, no car. Supplies were delivered by dray every six months, big drums of flour, sugar and rice.

“The property was 60km from town – a long ride in a sulky.

“The family lived on meat from the property and vegetables and fruit from the garden and milk from a cow.”

Mildred would recall travelling by Cobb & Co coach from Surat to the train at Yuleba – a journey of about 80km – until her father bought a car in 1922.

At the age of nine, Mildred went to boarding school at Moreton Bay College in Brisbane and returned home to Surat for holidays twice a year.

“She was greatly influenced by the good education she received there and the Christian principles of her teachers and kept in touch with them until they died,” Mr Phipps said.

Mildred Phipps on her 105th birthday with her grandson Tom Phipps and great grandson sam Phipps.

After school, Mildred became a nurse and theatre sister whose dedication and skills were well regarded by some of the leading surgeons of the day.

In 1938, she married Norman Phipps at the City Tabernacle Baptist Church in Brisbane.

They had four children with the family tree later growing to include six grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

After Norman returned from service in World War II the family moved to Gympie in 1946 and then to Ascot in 1955.

Norman died in 1978.

Mildred was one of the first residents of the then newly constructed Hilltop Gardens retirement village, buying her retirement unit “off the plan” and moving in 1983.

Mr Phipps said his mother lived independently there for a “full and satisfying 37 years” and “made many good friends”.

“Mother was always a keen and knowledgeable gardener and spent her final years doing quiet charitable work and caring for her grandchildren and great-grandchildren,” he said.

Carinity Retirement Villages Manager Phillip Sellwood says Mildred would be remembered as an active woman and an avid gardener who loved her roses as much as she loved art and classical music.

“Up until recent years she would regularly walk into the city from her home at Kelvin Grove,” Mr Sellwood said.

“She was extremely well respected by all the other residents who made her acquaintance over the many years that she resided at Carinity Hilltop.”