2 October 2025
Stretton Gardens residential aged care resident Mona Shaw has marked an incredible milestone, celebrating her 103rd birthday recently, surrounded by family and friends.
Born in Longreach, Western Queensland, Mona was the youngest of five children. Her early years were spent at 18-mile Tank, a watering reserve on the stock route between Longreach and Winton where her father was the ranger. Life there was isolated, but the family later moved into town, settling on Crane Street for the next 20 years.
In Longreach, Mona enjoyed an active youth. She played tennis, table tennis, basketball and vigoro, attended community events and church activities, and built lifelong friendships. At 15, she left school and began work at the Longreach Leader newspaper as a shorthand typist. Her work soon expanded to the local radio station, 4LG, where she even hosted a short children’s segment.
With World War II underway, Mona answered the call for women to serve. In 1943 she joined the Women’s Auxiliary Australian Air Force (WAAAF), training in Melbourne before being posted to Brisbane as a wireless telegrapher. She served until the WAAAF was disbanded in 1946. Afterwards, she moved to Maryborough, working as a telephonist and meeting her future husband at the Saturday dances. They married in 1949, later moving to Brisbane to raise their family of four children.
Over the years Mona was also blessed with six grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren. She and husband Des lived happily for many years at Stretton Gardens Retirement Village, before moving in April 2024 into the co-located Residential Aged Care home. The following month they celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary, before Des sadly passed away in July 2024.
Reflecting on her long life, Mona says her daily joys now are “two phone calls every afternoon from my daughters” and morning teas at Stretton Gardens. Her daughter Kay believes her mother is most known for her kindness, her loving nature, and her remarkable memory, especially for never forgetting a birthday.
