The year was 1919 and iconic people including cricketers Bill Alley and Keith Carmody, as well as former deputy prime minister Lance Barnard, were all born. 

It was also the year that Bathurst resident Lucy Kelty was born.

On January 5, 1919, Mrs Kelty’s father drove, by horse and sulky, to the house of the midwife that helped bring Lucy Lyle Kelty née Campbell into the world. 

She grew up on a property outside of Warialda, in far north NSW.

Things were very different back then, Mrs Kelty reflects, especially in the way people communicated.

“We had no telephone, radio or TV when I was growing up,” she said.

“When we all congregated together, we would discuss when we were going to next meet up.” 

In her time, Mrs Kelty has seen four different monarchs, 25 changes in prime minister and the population of Australia boom from five million citizens to 24 million.

One of her most iconic memories is the end of the Second World War.

“I lived out in the country with my mum, but we heard about it over the phone,” she said.

“We were out of town, where all the celebrations were happening. Apparently the minister, who never drinks, was offered a drink and he had one!

“Back in those days, things like clothing and petrol were rationed. 

“I used to make my own clothes in those days.” 

She also remembers the days of the Great Depression and living out on a rural property, she didn’t fill the sting as much as others did.

“We grew a lot of our own food, but there was a downturn in living,” she said.

“Swagmen use to come by our property and we’d feed them.” 

She married Mervyn Kelty in 1944, at a church in Warialda, but guests had to help with preparing the food because of the wartime rations. 

They enjoyed a honeymoon at Grafton and the couple had five children – Leonie, Kerry, Murdoch, Nigel and Pauline.

Over the years, Mr Kelty’s work in the accountancy field took him from Warialda to Inverell, Peak Hill and Gunnedah.

They moved to Bathurst in 1995 to live with their daughter Pauline.

Mr Kelty passed away in 1997, aged 87.

On Saturday, January 5, Ms Lucy celebrated her 100^th birthday, with all 75 of her immediate family in attendance, travelling from across Queensland and NSW to be with her.

She has 15 grandchildren, 34 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild, born just three weeks ago. 

Mrs Kelty is also an avid rugby league fan, currently supporting the Newcastle Knights.

She’s a bit of a club hopper: she began supporting Balmain when her nephew Wayne Pearce started playing for them, before switching to the Sydney Roosters when Wayne Pearce’s son Mitchell started playing.