Every Friday, Elma Batley drives herself to Jamison to get her hair done. Today’s trip to the salon was an extra special occasion for Elma, as she had turned 100 years old during the week.
Having been a beloved client of Bentleys Hair of Canberra for decades, salon owner June Irving and her team went the extra mile to make Elma feel special on her milestone week.
Watching Elma approach the salon, it was hard to believe she had hit the century mark given how incredible she looked. She still had plenty of pep in her step and when she saw June and the decorations, her smile lit up the shopping centre.
Whenever you see or hear of someone reaching the remarkable milestone of 100 years in excellent health, you wonder what their secret is. For Elma, her advice was pretty simple.
“Keeping active, I suppose,” said Elma. “Having a family that you care about, and they care about you. I’ve been very fortunate in that respect.”
During our brief chat with Elma, it became apparent quickly that family is, and always has been, a huge part of her life.
“I have four children and seven grandchildren, but I come from a family of 11 and I’m the third eldest,” she said. “Growing up, we had a very happy family.”
Elma received a letter of congratulations from King Charles, the Prime Minister and the Governor-General. When asked how she celebrated her centenary, again it revolved around family.
“I celebrated down by the Lake with all of my family. Half of the people there were my family. My sisters and my children, my grandchildren and their children, so it was really special,” Elma said.
Although Elma can still drive herself around town as needed, any aspirations for a late-career switch to bus driving have been thwarted by the government.
“I’ll tell you something, you need to print this. I had an accompanying letter with my licence that arrived this week, it said I’m not allowed to carry more than 11 passengers. Isn’t that a silly thing to send to someone who just turned 100,” Elma laughed.
It was evident that Elma is a treasured client of Bentleys, with June and her staff going all out to make sure it wasn’t just your usual trip to the salon.
The team spent the previous night decorating the salon in lovely fashion, while there was also a magnificent cake and a touching card reflecting on Elma’s life.
“She is one of the very special clients,” said June.
“I have gone all out because this is my first client to hit the 100 milestone so it’s a special moment for all of us. She has been coming to the salon every Friday for almost 30 years at 9.15am. I’ve tried to get her in later so she’s not driving in peak hour traffic, but 9.15am is her time,” June smiled.
June’s favourite thing about having Elma as a client over the years is that she is the same, lovely person every time she steps foot in the salon.
“She has always been the perfect lady, and her entire family are just lovely, lovely people. Every day she walks in my door is a nice moment because she’s never been difficult,” June said.
June said it meant the world to her to have clients like Elma who stick with her for many years.
“It means everything, absolutely everything to me. A lot of these clients I grew up with and to have them stay with me over decades, that’s a special feeling.”
Given how rare it is to make it to 100, it was truly an honour to be a part of such a special occasion. Happy birthday Elma!
