Betty Gemmell has always been fiercely independent. She was born on her grandparent’s property near Berrigan, in the Riverina, in 1917, and inherited a knack for numbers from her accountant father. When World War II broke out she became one of Australia’s first female bank tellers. Like many young women at the time, she considered going into nursing, but the local bank manager convinced her that the best way she could contribute to the war effort would be using her skill with numbers.
“They said to her, We need you. This would be your war effort because all the men have gone off for war’,” Betty’s niece, Vicki, recalls.
“She tells a story about having to take the cash from the bank. She had to carry a pistol. There was one time in Deniliquin when the bank manager couldn’t get in, so she had to sleep in the bank with a revolver under her pillow.”
Now 105, Betty still cherishes her independence. The Mosman local loves going to Balmoral Beach and has a penchant for politics and crosswords. She sets aside time each week to knit woollen bears, which she donates to children in hospital. The task keeps her mind sharp, and ensures she’s engaged with the community.
Betty understands that it is important to keep herself active, so that she can continue to live independently, in her own home.
“I 'm a very, very lucky person to still have my memory active and I think I give that to my weekly crosswords,” Betty says.
Esta historia es de la edición XMAS 2022 de The Australian Women's Weekly.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición XMAS 2022 de The Australian Women's Weekly.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
Hitting a nerve
Regulating the vagus nerve with its links to depression, anxiety, arthritis and diabetes - could aid physical and mental wellbeing.
Take me to the river
With a slew of new schedules and excursions to explore, the latest river cruises promise to give you experiences and sights you won’t see on the ocean.
The last act
When family patriarch Tom Edwards passes away, his children must come together to build his coffin in four days, otherwise they will lose their inheritance. Can they put their sibling rivalry aside?
MEET RUSSIA'S BRAVEST WOMEN
When Alexei Navalny died in a brutal Arctic prison, Vladimir Putin thought he had triumphed over his most formidable opponent. Until three courageous women - Alexei's mother, wife and daughter - took up his fight for freedom.
The wines and lines mums
Once only associated with glamorous A-listers, cocaine is now prevalent with the soccer-mum set - as likely to be imbibed at a school fundraiser as a nightclub. The Weekly looks inside this illegal, addictive, rising trend.
Jenny Liddle-Bob.Lucy McDonald.Sasha Green - Why don't you know their names?
Indigenous women are being murdered at frightening rates, their deaths often left uninvestigated and widely unreported. Here The Weekly meets families who are battling grief and desperate for solutions.
Growing happiness
Through drought flood and heartbreak, Jenny Jennr's sunflowers bloom with hope, sunshine and joy
"Thank God we make each other laugh"
A shared sense of humour has seen Aussie comedy couple Harriet Dyer and Patrick Brammall conquer the world. But what does life look like when the cameras go down:
Winter baking with apples and pears
Celebrate the season of Australian apples and pears with these sweet bakes that will keep the midwinter blues away.
Budget dinner winners
Looking for some thrifty inspiration for weeknight dinners? Try our tasty line-up of low-cost recipes that are bound to please everyone at the table.
