Narrabri siblings Ron Halliday and Eileen Spraggs become centenarians

It's sweet but not entirely remarkable, what is, is that the Narrabri brother and sister have just celebrated their 100^th and 102^nd birthdays.

The pair grew up in 1920s Sydney when the Sydney Harbour Bridge was still being built and Vegemite was first brought on the market.

Known as the Golden Age, the 1920s is famous as the Jazz era where women had greater freedom of expression and first started to find work outside the home.

With new fashions, shorter hair, smoking, dancing and more access to education the younger women were referred to as 'flappers' or 'modern' women.

As centenarians they belong to a very exclusive club, Mr Halliday calls his sister at Whiddon Narrabri every single day to catch up and both are huge believers in keeping busy.

The family moved to Narrabri as teenagers and have clear memories of Pharlap, Donald Bradman and Burt Hinkler.

Mr Halliday worked in the Faulkner's Cordial building on the bottle press, tried his hand at farming and decided it wasn't for him before he became a grader operator for a local earthmoving company.

Mrs Spraggs has been described as the 'finest seamstress in Narrabri' and played a part in numerous weddings and fashioned bridesmaid dresses across the area. She even had a brush with royalty when the Queen visited Australia.

Living to 100 and 102 is no easy feat, and both Mr Halliday and Mrs Spraggs credit an active lifestyle with their longevity.

Mr Halliday has been involved in many clubs and groups over his 100 year history and maintains that hobbies, interests and hard work are the key to his success.

Proud of his work ethic and life values, Mr Halliday has enjoyed table tennis, lapidary and swimming over the years, while his sister preferred more green-thumbed pursuits.

Mrs Spraggs was an avid gardener, an activity she believes kept her fit over the years, only bolstered by her and her brother's morals and beliefs.

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Both have fond memories of boating on Botany Bay, holidaying together.

One special occasion was Empire Day, known now as Bonfire night, where people would spend all day building a fire and it took months to collect the firecrackers when times were hard.

A much anticipated family occasion both Mrs Spraggs and Mr Halliday would eagerly await the spectacular fireworks show each year.

Now Mrs Spraggs lives at Whiddon Aged Care in Narrabri and has regular visits from her brother Mr Halliday.

Mr Halliday recently joined his sister in the centenarian club and the pair hope to celebrate many more birthdays together.

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