Darren Chester MP

One of these ageing structures is running a marathon on Sunday... the other one is the Traralgon Post Office!

Just finished my final training run around the streets of Traralgon and thanks to the team at Café Evviva for the revitalising coffee.

Cafe Evviva is opening six nights a week throughout December - perfect for pre-Christmas catch-ups with friends.

Of course, they are also open for breakfast and lunch: great food, great coffee, great service.

Please keep putting locals first and supporting local jobs across Gippsland.

#lovegippsland #myvalley

Happy 100th birthday to Catherine McFarland (nee Perry), who was born in Collingwood on 8 December 1921.

Before the Second World War, Catherine was working as a machinist at a local raincoat manufacturer, C E Beeston. The factory converted to making flotation garments for air force pilots, but on Catherine’s 21st birthday, a factory fire saw production end.

Catherine then decided to sign up for the Australian Women’s Army Service. She was stationed in Brisbane as a signalwoman, where she worked shifts intercepting and deciphering signals and codes.

After serving until January 1946, Catherine returned home, and to her job at Beeston’s, which was once again manufacturing wet weather garments.

Soon after, she married Len McFarland who had served in the Australian Army with 2/9th Field Company RAE. They settled into a war services home in Reservoir, where they happily raised two daughters and lovingly nurtured six grandchildren and five great grandchildren.

Catherine feels blessed to still be living in this home today. Len sadly passed away in May 2009.

As well as saying “thank you” to serving personnel, Catherine would like to offer some simple advice: cherish and nurture each other; always look for peaceful options first; and maintain a sense of playfulness and a good sense of humour!

Catherine credits her long life to good luck, good genes, loving and supportive family and friends, and the tenacity that comes from growing up in a place like Collingwood!

Thank you for your service.

Details provided by the Department of Veteran’s Affairs.