Gymea resident Frank Mawer's extended family "zoomed in" from around the world to help celebrate his 108th birthday.
More than 50 family members and friends, from places such as London, California, Alice Springs, Darwin, Melbourne and Brisbane, joined the August 15 Zoom session, which he watched on a big screen TV.
Together, each enjoyed a cupcake.
"It was wonderful - like they were there in the room with me," Mr Mawer said.
Mr Mawer's age is remarkable enough, but the fact that he still lives independently at home is even more so.
He even cooks for himself, including the occasional roast dinner. Last year he flew to the Gold Coast for a holiday.
He is supported by HammondCare At Home care staff, who drop by his two-bedroom unit four times a week.
HammondCare says Mr Mawer is "almost certainly the oldest Australian not living in residential aged care".
COVID-19 restrictions, which prevented a big gathering for his birthday, are not the first time his life has been impacted by a health pandemic.
He lost his brother to the Spanish Flu outbreak of 1918-19.
Mr Mawer was born in 1912 and, when his mother died while he was still a boy, he was made a ward of the state.
After years as a farm labourer, he became a carpenter.
In 1939, while working at an Alexandria factory which produced overalls, he met and married Elizabeth, an Irish immigrant.
They raised six children in a two-bedroom house at Kingsgrove and the extended family has grown to 13 grandchildren, 21 great grandchildren and two great, great grandchildren.
Elizabeth died in 2011 at 92.
Because of his Christian beliefs, Mr Mawer was a conscientious objector during World War 11 and spent 12 months in the Northern Territory outback building a roof from bush timber over an ammunition dump and another year in Katherine building an abattoirs for the army.
Mr Mawer worships at Sutherland's Horizon Church, where he sometimes chats with another member of the congregation, Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
Barry Mawer, 72, said his father was a hard working man, whose family meant everything to him.
Frank Mawer is looking forward to a holiday at Christmas with the extended family at Bateau Bay, which has been a tradition for 62 years.
HammondCare At Home Clinical Case Manager Narelle Wild said it had been a privilege to work with Mr Mawer's family to support his choice to live independently.
"He is still going really well and is as sharp as a tack," Ms Wild said.