When Mavis Trigg and Joyce McDonald met 71 years ago, they promised never to part. On Wednesday the best friends celebrated Mavis' 101st birthday together.
Mavis and Joyce met in 1950 through Joyce's cousin Syril, who introduced the pair. They've been inseparable since.
"We've had some wonderful times together," Ms McDonald said.
"Mavis is very special to me and I look up to her as my sister and it's been a wonderful 71 years. She's an absolutely wonderful person."
Ms McDonald said the two, who now live at aged care facility Lyndoch Living, had never had a fight and were often late because they couldn't stop talking to each other.
"When I got married, I'd drop my husband off and if I was late to pick him up at 3pm he'd ask 'you were talking to Mavis weren't you?'," Ms McDonald said. "She comes over every Saturday to have afternoon tea with me at 1.30pm and doesn't go home until 4.45pm."
Ms McDonald said their long conversations often got them in trouble.
"Three weeks ago we were talking and the girl came and put her head in the door and she walked away. Five-to-five they came back looking for Mavis to have her dinner," she said. "The girl said 'well I didn't disturb you because we heard you laughing' and Mavis turned around and said 'Joyce, why didn't you tell me it was five-to-five?".
Every year for Mavis' birthday, Joyce makes sure she wears pink (Mavis' favourite colour) and gets her a corsage. This year, Joyce also took Mavis to the bowls club for afternoon tea.
"We went for a drive around the beach and the breakwater. It was lovely," Ms McDonald said.
"The table next to us had three birthdays. They sang 'Happy Birthday' to those three and for Mavis as well. This lovely lady came over and said 'congratulations, would you like some birthday cake? We've got mud cake and sponge'.
"She brought over a lovely big plate and even the waitresses came over and congratulated her."
