Bairnsdale identity, Norman Francis, celebrated his 100th birthday last Friday surrounded by friends and family.
A born and bred Bairnsdale local, Norman has lived in the area for much of his life, attending primary school at Lucknow before heading to Bairnsdale Tech School where he later dropped out at the age of 14.
He later started up East Gippsland Garage with a partner, leasing land from a local blacksmith.
For Norman, cars were his passion, and he worked at a number of franchises, Toyota most recently.
During the Great Depression, he would often provide free services to his clients.
Norman married Aileen Moon in February 1947 – the pair lived close by and would often meet up – Aileen on a horse and Norman on a bike.
As the years passed, they welcomed two daughters, June and Pam, who shared fond memories of their childhood.
“We loved spending time on the water growing up, dad even learnt how to water ski at the age of 60,” June recalled.
Norman and Aileen also loved to travel, both locally and overseas, venturing to Europe, Asia and New Zealand.
They also travelled around Australia, tackling numerous 4WD tracks, a hobby which June now enjoys.
Norman and Aileen were married for almost 70 years before Aileen passed away in 2016.
Fast forward to today, and Norman has two daughters six grandchildren and numerous great-grandchildren, most of whom travelled from Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane to celebrate the special occasion.
Norman also celebrated his birthday at Maddocks Gardens in Bairnsdale, where he currently lives.
