VERA Labbett chalked up her 108th birthday yesterday and went into the running to become Australia's oldest person.
Ballarat's oldest resident quietly celebrated the special milestone with family and friends at Kelaston Nursing Home, where she joined her great great grand niece Serena Jones, 3, in blowing out the candles on her cake.
When told she was one of the nation's oldest residents the birthday girl said: "It's a wonderful age".
Mrs Labbett is also distantly related to Blackburn resident Myra Nicholson, who turned 109 in December.
Australia's oldest resident Alice Lindsay died at the age of 111 at a nursing home north of Adelaide in July.
A Federal Government spokeswoman yesterday confirmed Mrs Labbett was one of the nation's oldest residents and said the oldest living Australian was believed to be 109.
While frail, Mrs Labbett is in good health and spent the afternoon chatting with family.
Niece Mary Davies said Mrs Labbett had suffered a chest infection in the past year but was otherwise generally well.
Ms Davies said Mrs Labbett had lived a life of generosity to others.
"She's always been very gracious and even now says thank-you for coming to her birthday," she said.
"When there was the flu epidemic in 1919 my father, (which was) her brother, and her mother both got that and she didn't and she nursed them."
And what do you give an 108-year-old for a birthday present?
Ms Davies said soft-centered chocolates were a favourite with her aunt, along with flowers.
"She has always loved flowers and she always had fresh flowers in her house."
Mrs Labbett was born on November 10, 1896, the same year the first modern Olympics were held in Athens.
Mrs Labbett grew up on a farm with her parents and brother at Pootilla, near Ballarat.
In 1948 she married Frank Labbett and lived with him on a farm at Clarkes Hill. The couple never had children.
Mr Labbett died in 1983 and in 2002 Mrs Labbett moved into Kelaston.