On Saturday she turned 111 and her family was there to celebrate.

She grew up at Fashion’s Mount where Burrendong Dam now is and having lived through WWI, the Depression and WWII, she credits her longevity to “hard work and good plain tucker”.

She now lives in Mollymook, but has fond memories of growing up on the local farm near Wellington as one of 12 children.

“That was her childhood and all of her sisters and brothers had property out there near Oakey Creek,” Mrs McConnell’s daughter Nola West-Newman said.

Mrs McConnell loved playing tennis and dancing in Wellington and would always be the last person home.

When Burrendong Dam was filled in, she was sad to lose her childhood home.

“I felt pretty miserable,” Mrs McConnell said.

“All the houses and some of the properties were very good. Now they’re all under water.”

Mrs West Newman said that the family was very proud of Mrs McConnell.

“I think that looking after her children and her eldest brother’s family kept her young,” she said.

“They were hard but happy times,” Mrs McConnell’s son Jack said. “It was a normal upbringing in the bush.”

“She has lived a good, solid, intensely-lived life.”