Cronulla resident Francina Kemp celebrated her 100th birthday today surrounded by family and friends.
Francina Dees was born in Zandvoort, Holland in 1919, the second eldest of six sisters.
She married Peter Kemp, a carpenter-builder on June 4, 1943, during the German occupation.
Zandvoort was a beachside resort and when it was taken over by the Germans the family had to move to Haarlem for the duration of the war.
"Times were hard and the last year of the war there was very little food," daughter Connie Smith said. "It was always known as the hungry year."
After the war, Peter and Francina applied to emigrate to Australia and moved to Sydney in 1952 with Connie and another daughter Frances, settling in Sylvania. In 1956, another daughter Eleanor was born.
"Mum was involved with everything," Connie said. "She knitted teddy bears for the hospital. She did Meals on Wheels in the inner city.
"She got a certificate for the amount of blood she had given over the years.
"She had a love of bushwalking. She only stopped riding her bike when she was into her 80s. She was still playing tennis in her 80s."
Peter passed away in 2010 at 96 and Francina has since moved to Pathways Cronulla Pines.
"She still reads the Sydney Morning Herald every day and loves to do the crossword puzzle," Connie said.
"She's headstrong and when you talk to the staff they say she has got a good sense of humour.
"I'd say her regular glass of red wine is her secret to a long and happy life."
Francina now has seven grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
"We had a wonderful day celebrating her birthday," Connie said. "People travelled from Queensland and country NSW.
"She even made a speech after she blew out the candles on the cake, which was quite special."