‘Never woke up’: Australia’s oldest man Frank Mawer dies

Frank Mawer, the oldest man in Australia, has died after being weakened by the second pandemic of his life.

Australia's oldest man, Frank Mawer, has died aged 110 after a bout of Covid-19. Picture supplied by HammondCare via NCA NewsWire.

Australia’s oldest man, 110-year-old Frank Mawer, died peacefully on Saturday after being weakened by the second pandemic in his lifetime – Covid-19.

Mr Mawer died in his sleep at Central Tilba, on the NSW south coast, at the home of his son Philip.

Mr Mawer, who celebrated his 110th birthday on August 15, took the title of Australia’s oldest man in July last year after the death of Queensland man Dexter Kruger.

Born in 1912, Mr Mawer had a long and eventful life, living through Spanish flu, World War I in 1914, witnessing the birth of Australian civil aviation in 1920, World War II in 1939, a man on the moon in 1969, the first mobile phone in 1973, the first personal computer in 1975 and the internet in 1989, and the 9/11 attack in 2001.

Australia's oldest man, Frank Mawer, has died aged 110. Picture: Supplied by HammondCare via NCA NewsWire

Until November last year, Mr Mawer lived independently in his own apartment at Gymea in Sydney's south, supported by HammondCare At Home staff.

Mr Mawer‘s son Barry said he “lived life to the full even in recent months”, insisting on “sitting up for meals, and he did his exercises every day and had plenty of visitors”.

“He went to have his afternoon nap on Saturday afternoon and never woke up.”

In 2020, Mr Mawer said his advice for living to a grand age was simple: “no smoking, no drinking and no gambling”.

Mr Mawer and his wife Elizabeth. Picture: Supplied by HammondCare via NCA NewsWire

He married an Irish immigrant named Elizabeth in 1939 and they raised six children. The extended family has grown to 13 grandchildren, 21 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren.

Ms Mawer died in 2011, aged 92, after 70 years of marriage.

“It was a long marriage to a lovely girl,” Mr Mawer said.

There will be a celebration of his life at Horizon Church in Sutherland at a date yet to be announced after his body is cremated following a private service on the south coast.