Gay Halstead (nee Bury) celebrated her 90th birthday on March 21 with a busy round of events.
The first celebration was with family at Nungurner with many family members travelling long distances for the event.
“The weather was glorious and we had such a large group of family, it was a wonderful day,” Gay said.
Now residing at Opal Lakeview in Lakes Entrance, Gay celebrated with fellow residents and staff on the day of her birthday.
“The cake was marvellous,” she said.
The next day it was lunch with a friend.
Gay said she has been very fortunate that wherever she has lived she has been surrounded by very kind people. This has come about because of her warm, positive and inquiring personality.
“Lakeview Opal is an exceptional place to live. I want for nothing, the staff are wonderful,” she said.
Gay also has the company of her rescue dog, Jodie.
“AslongasIkeepheronaleadat all times and take her for regular walks, she is quite welcome to live here with me.
“She even comes to happy hour every evening and loves greeting all the other residents.”
Born in Bairnsdale on March 21, 1929, Gay has two brothers Peter and Bill Bury.
Home schooled until the age of 11, Gay then went to live in Corowa with her aunt. She attended Church of England Girls Grammar School.
“I had trouble understanding a lot of the school girls’ behaviour and talk, as I hadn’t experienced groups of girls before,” she said.
“I was sent to Corowa to keep my aunt company as her husband was away at war. She was a wonderful person.
“At one stage there was the fear of invasion and bombings, so my aunt decided we should build a trench. We dug and dug, it rained, the trench filled with water and that was that.”
Gay began her working life nursing at Royal Melbourne Hospital.
At the age of 22 she joined the Royal Airforce Nursing Service for four years, before she was posted to Japan and then Korea.
There was one other Australian nurse there and the rest were from all over the world.
“We lived in an old school building in Seoul, it was very primitive,” she said.
Gay nursed Commonwealth casualties, as well as accompanying injured troops on medical air evacuations back to Japan, Singapore and Australia.
“MASH, the television show was spot on with their portrayal of the Korean War,” she said.
Gay was posted back to Australia in 1953 where she trained for a very special role.
Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth, and the Duke of Edinburgh, in 1954, were the first Royals to tour a reigning monarch in Australia. Gay was their air hostess for the 20 flights across Australia with the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF).
Asked what they were like, Gay replied: “They were very down to earth, especially the Duke, he was very nice.”
At one stage the Duke asked her what part of Australia they were flying over, but she had no idea, she was too busy being the hostess.
“The RAAF had to build a special ‘boudoir’ for the Queen on the plane,” she said.
Gay married Harry Halstead at the Toorak Presbyterian Church.
He was an aeronautical engineer with Rolls Royce Aircraft engines. This meant a lot of travelling to New Zealand and Europe, so Gay left her nursing career and accompanied Harry on many of his trips abroad.
Gay always loved writing and used to write for the Red Cross magazine. It was called Waco and cost three pence per copy.
She then started her own publishing business, Nungurner Press.
Gay engaged in historical research and writing for more than 20 years. She is the author of five published histories.
Her writings included The Story of Metung, The Story of St Ives, The Story of Terrey Hills and Duffys Forest, The Story of RAAF Nursing Service, Whispers Over Wildwood and Major General FA Simmonds.
In 1984 she received an Advance Australia Award for her contribution to Australian Literature.
In 1993, Gay and Harry decided to leave Sydney, where they lived for 35 years, and returned to live at Wildwood, the family home, in beautiful Metung.
Harry passed away in December 2011.
Gay has had a full and happy life and is especially proud of her daughter, Louise, son, Michael, and her four grandchildren.
“I am looking forward to my 91st birthday and to celebrate once more,” she said with a smile.
PICTURED: Gay Halstead (nee Bury) celebrated her 90th birthday on March 21 with a busy round of events.
