Alice Kent grew up on a dairy farm at Wybong in the Upper Hunter.
They had 70 cows to milk. She recalled milking them from around age seven.
"We started at 7am. We had to milk by hand. There were no machines then," she said.
Alice, who turns 100 on Sunday, lived on the farm until age 18.
When she was 16, she was allowed to go dancing.
"We used to walk to the dance hall. It was really good," she said.
She worked as a waitress in Muswellbrook for a while.
"Then my husband and I moved to Newcastle. I got a job in Hunter Street at a fish cafe and worked there for 20 years," she said.
Son Trevor Kent said she "still lives on her own and gets out in the garden".
"A few years ago we called in to see her and she had her kitchen window up a bit. I said, 'I hope you don't leave that up'.
"She said, 'lucky I did because I locked myself out the other day and had to climb through the window'. That was only about three years ago."
Trevor said his mum wasn't strict when he was a youngster.
"She was a good mum," he said.
The family will mark Alice's 100th birthday at a get-together on Saturday.
Step granddaughter Sandra Martins said "she's already received her letter from the king".
"She has a very big family. She still buys every single person in the family a present for Christmas. She starts shopping in January."
Alice has two kids, seven grandchildren, 23 great grandchildren, nine great great grandchildren, two step children, 11 step grandchildren, six step great grandchildren and five foster great grandchildren. Great grandson Jacob Pepper played for the Newcastle Jets.
She also had three sisters and two brothers.
"Even though she's not the blood nan for some of us, she's always treated us like we're part of the family," Sandra said.
"She's a very kind, gentle lady. And she always sits down and watches the Knights, no matter what time of day."
On a family trip to Lightning Ridge this month, Alice bought some "rainbow sour straps with the sugar on the outside".
"She said, 'I have to give you one of these lollies. Guess what, they're sour and then sweet'," Sandra said.
It was the first time she'd had them.
"Something so simple made her so happy."
Alice doesn't feel old.
"I do everything for myself. I don't have anyone helping."
