Juniper Karinya resident Harold Ford celebrated his 103rd birthday last Friday cracking jokes with his daughter and granddaughter. His room was decorated for the occasion, and he marked the day in style, wearing a special shirt gifted to him by his family.
When asked how he feels to turn 103, Harold simply said, “the same as I felt yesterday.”
Born in Charters Towers, Queensland, Harold grew up in a family that worked hard and made do. He received two exemptions from conscription during the Second World War, working in essential services, before eventually serving with the army in New Guinea.
After the war, he settled in Townsville and spent more than 20 years in the railway workshops.
“I worked as a blacksmith striker. I rode my pushbike to work every day.”
After settling down with his wife, Harold cultivated a yard full of fruit trees, selling the produce at local markets to make the most of the harvest.
“We had about 25 or 30 trees in the yard, oranges, mandarins, lemons. Mainly citrus. Because that’s what you grow in North Queensland.”
The fruit was packed up and sent to market, cases and all made by hand by Harold.
“We bought the cases in pieces, nailed them all together, and made the cases ourselves out of pieces of timber that we bought. Pack the fruit into the cases, send them to Townsville to the COD.”
On weekends, Harold kept busy staying active and social. “I played tennis, ten pin bowling, any type of sport,” he said, adding he could often be found on the dance floor too.
“I used to dance a lot. In a country town, that was the Saturday night entertainment. Boys would be outside having a beer and a smoke, and the girls would be inside in their pretty dresses and their gloves.”
When asked what he considers the best thing he has ever done, Harold doesn’t hesitate.
“I reckon the best thing I did was, I made her,” he said, pointing at his daughter.
Happy 103rd birthday, Harold.
Contact 
1300 313 000