Karana Aged Care staff, Jo Clayton, Sonia Cordon, Tanya Woodward and Angela Gray with Joyce Skewes, just days before she turns 100.
Photo by
Les_Garbutt
As she fast approaches her 100th birthday this weekend, community-minded Yarrawonga identity, Joyce Skewes still recalls riding her pony to and from primary school.
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With her milestone birthday now imminent, she says “it doesn’t feel much different”.
And if there was a particular recipe for reaching 100, Joyce reasoned: “golf, keeping active and healthy eating, bringing up and keeping track of our children, their children and their children.”
Marjorie (Joyce) Munro was born June 15, 1925 and grew up on her parents’ farm, The Gums, out of Daysdale.
She attended Coads Tank Public school, between Coreen and Daysdale, “a short horse ride down the road”.
“I had ponies and would ride them to school each day. I went to a school with only nine children and one teacher,” she said.
1963. Coads Tank School, between Coreen and Daysdale where Joyce Munro was a student. Located in a wheat paddock, the one room school existed from 1912 to 1969.
At the end of 1938, Joyce was accepted into Albury High School as a boarder and completed her leaving certificate in 1943, with very good grades in Maths and Science.
After school, she was offered a scholarship to study teaching in NSW but was ultimately turned down after a medical concern about an ear infection.
Missing out on the scholarship devastated Joyce.
Joyce Munroe as a boarder at Albury High School.
During WWII she worked testing propellant in the laboratories at the ammunition factory in Mulwala.
“I had to give it up when the soldiers came home from the war as they all needed their jobs,” she said.
Between school and her work in Mulwala Joyce often helped out on the farm, harvesting and with sheep.
Skewes Grocery, where she also helped out, was located next to Burkes Hotel and was operated by Les Skewes from 1935 to 1977, with his sons, Henry and David.
Joyce and Henry married in 1949. Henry passed away in 2019 aged 93 years.
Both were immensely proud of their four sons Ian (dec), Peter, Bruce and Andrew, and daughter Anne all of whom graduated from university.
Henry and Joyce Skewes on their wedding day in 1949.
Joyce was always keen on education and was a member on the Yarrawonga High School Advisory Board (school council) for several years.
For 20 years Joyce was a Yarrawonga Hospital board member and received a Life Governorship in December 1994 for outstanding service and dedication.
“Henry was a member, I baked cakes and helped with street stalls on behalf of the hospital and it seemed important,” she said.
At Yarrawonga Mulwala Golf Club Resort (formerly Yarrawonga & Border Golf Club), Joyce was actively involved with ladies golf, as a lady captain, as pennant team leader, on the ladies committee, handicapper and a strong player.
Many district and regional golf trophies attest her abilities including a local 1991 PGA event winner, Tocumwal River Belt Open A Grade lady winner in 1986 and Shepparton Challenge Bowl winner in 1977.
1991 PGA event winner Joyce Skewes, at YMGCR.
Joyce proudly wears a chain donated to her following a win in Wangaratta and played gold until her eyesight failed her.
“I was hitting them out of sight, but I couldn’t see where the ball landed,” she jokingly said.
YMGCR club champion and life member Karen Droop described Joyce as an amazing person with an amazing background.
“I first met her in 1969 when she was playing golf as a junior,” Karen said.
“She won two mixed events with Evan (Karen’s son and head professional), was a captain, on the ladies committee and very supportive of the ladies.”
“I got my handicap down to nine,” Joyce said.
“I made so many friends through golf.”
A tennis player and member of the Yarrawonga Tennis Club, Joyce was a member of the CWA.
1929 circa. The Munro clan, with Joyce in front row (in white) kneeling – her parents far left holding her siblings. Joyce’s grandfather and grandmother second row seated.
She has always taken a keen interest in politics and in the lives of her four children, their partners, 10 grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren.
Joyce has lived at Karana Aged Care Facility for almost 12 months and says she misses her pet chickens, which were a source of interest and amusement to family and friends housed at her Coghill Street home before she moved into Karana.
Joyce enjoys visits from friends and family pets and is a much-loved resident at Karana.
She will celebrate her century this Sunday at Yarrawonga Mulwala Golf Club Resort.
303 years between them
Des Jones, 102 with Joyce Skewes who turns 100 on Sunday, and Gladys Wallace who is 101.
By Sunday, June 15, there will be three centenarians at Karana Aged Care Facility when Joyce Skewes turns 100.
It was an early welcome to the 100 club for Joyce last week by Karana’s Des Jones, who was 102 years on May 4, and Gladys Wallace who turned 101 on September 2.
It will be the first time Karana Aged Care Facility has had three centenarians.
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