BELLE Burke has seen world history made, lived through tough times, and now as she celebrates her 100th birthday reflects on some of those times.

Belle burke turned 100 years young yesterday (Tuesday, December 13).

Born in Devonport, Tasmania, Belle (nee McInnes) first went to school in Lower Barrington until Grade 7, the highest at that school and then the next year, she attended the Sheffield Area School – the first 'area school' for that region.

"It was the equivalent of first year secondary college these days," Belle said.

"I grew up on a farm half way between Devonport and Sheffield.

"Then we (Belle had a twin sister who passed away around 13 years ago) left school and because jobs were hard to get we did anything to make a dollar," she said.

"I packed apples in the apple season, and then anything we could get.

"I was about 15 at the time."

At the age of around 19 or 20 Belle moved to Victoria and trained as a mother craft nurse at the Methodist Babies Home in South Yarra.

"Even though I enjoyed doing the mother craft I didn't do it for very long, I did it because my mum wanted me to.

"I enjoyed it for a while, but I thought I would try a few other different things.

"From then on I did various jobs, machinist, anything I could, but once you got a job you were more or less bound to stay there.

"Things were tough back in those days, everybody was in the same boat and everybody shared everything, it was a real sharing time, to be honest," Belle recalled.

Belle met her husband Brian Burke at a well–known Melbourne dance hall 'Trocadero.

"And even though I had two left legs, Brian was a fabulous dancer," she said.

"I married Brian in 1947 at Deep Dene in the aftermath of WWII."

Brian had been in the Airforce but after the war he became a printer.

"We only had one daughter, who is fantastic.

"We first lived in a flat at St Kilda... and later bought a home in Mitcham; and that's where we stayed until after he passed away in 2005 and I made my move to Mansfield."

But cancer had played a big and unfortunate part in family losses for Belle, firstly losing her mum and then her twin sister.

So in support of research she joined a group supporting the Westmead Cancer Research Group in Sydney.

"A friend was one of the organisers who got in touch to see if we could do something, we started off in 1980 fundraising for cancer research.

"We raised money doing anything, bar a chook raffle, raising thousands and thousands," Belle said laughing.

For many years Belle was part of that group and over the time they raised more than $500,000.

Belle moved to Mansfield just prior to celebrating her 90th birthday.

Now some 10 years later she still lives alone and loves her garden.

And her charity work did not stop once.

She is still a member of Bindaree Auxiliary and works to support residents.

"I still knit socks and crochet knee rugs, which are being sold through the Mansfield CWA group and the knitted slippers raise money for the hospital," she said.

Belle moved to Mansfield as her granddaughter Sally (Rekers) thought it was time for grandma to move out of Melbourne and closer to family.

Her daughter moved also, and visits her mum every day.

Belle now has three granddaughters and five great grandchildren, with another on the way.

An afternoon tea was held at the Cullen home in Mansfield yesterday to celebrate Belle's milestone birthday with a small gathering of friends and family.

Some travelled from as far as Adelaide for the occasion while others came from Melbourne and a little closer to Mansfield.

Belle's close friend and neighbour just two doors away Elsie McLeod also celebrated another birthday the week before – turning 103 years old.

The Mansfield Courier wish Belle a very Happy 100th, and may there be many more.