Community
14 May, 2021
Happy wife… Happy life, and long life
George Gordon Baulch celebrated his 100th birthday with a morning tea recently.
Around 40 family and friends travelled from as far away as Mackay and the Northern Territory to mark the occasion.
Mr Baulch was born in Mackay on May 4, 1921.
He and his wife Callie (96) have been married for 76 years and both reside in Pyramid Residential Care Centre at Gordonvale.
They Have three daughters, Caryl Lavell, Clair O’Brien and Grace Moore, as well as eight grandchildren and 20 great grandchildren.
Most of Mr Baulch’s working days were on cane farms, and then on Golf Courses in retirement.
Mr Baulch has always been active in community activities and enjoyed seeing lots of Australia on family holidays.
Mr Baulch’s daughter Grace Moore said Mr Baulch was a Jack of all trades.
“He could tinker with any machinery. He also built the house that we lived in in Aloomba,” she said.
“He helped assemble the world’s first mechanical cane harvester on the Rossi Family farm in 1958.”
Ms Moore said her father was still a sharp wit.
“At his birthday party, someone asked him ‘How did you sleep last night George?’ and he said ‘On my back!’”
Ms Moore said her parents had never had a serious argument during their 76 year marriage, and one of her father’s catch phrases was “Happy wife, happy life!”
