WHILE Victoria Point resident Bill Gardner recently celebrated his 100th birthday, it was just 10 years ago that he went sky-diving and travelled around Europe.
Mr Gardner enjoyed his centenary bash on election day, May 18 with about 30 friends and relatives at the Redland Bay Golf Club.
Mr Gardner has had an interesting life from being a World War II veteran, having served on minesweepers in his early 20s, to playing rugby league.
Daughter Judy Anderson said her father had captained the A grade team while coaching the B grade at St Peters, a junior section of Newtown.
"He was asked to play first grade football for Newtown but preferred to stay with his mates," Ms Anderson said.
He later trained and raced greyhounds.
Mr Gardner moved to Victoria Point 30 years ago and was a familiar face on the golf course for some 20 years.
Ms Anderson said that her father had celebrated turning 90 years old in style.
"He travelled around Europe and the United Kingdom, kissing the Blarney Stone in Ireland and going up the Eiffel Tower in Paris, both things he had always wanted to do," she said.
"On his return home, he jumped out of a plane, skydiving at Redcliffe, the third thing on his bucket list."
Ms Anderson said her father still lived alone at Victoria Point by choice, using just a walker and was a keen football fan.
Portrait project
MR GARDNER is among 100 people from the Brisbane area who have been chosen to be part of the Centenarian Portrait Project by Teenagers which pairs centenarians with skilled young artists.
The centenarian and artists meet up several times to get to know one another, create sketches and take photographs.
The elderly people involved have a chance to share history, while for many young artists it is an opportunity for meet a centenarian for the first time.
The portraits those involved in the Brisbane-based project will be exhibited in August with a text that includes biographical details about the subject, interesting stories and approaches to life at 100 and beyond.
