Joining her for the momentous occasion were a few old friends, her two sons Sean and Michael, her boyfriend Ian and all his family, “who love her as their own”, son Sean told News Of The Area.

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“Mum was very happy at the party seeing old friends that she hadn’t seen since she left her home in Glenreagh to move to the nursing home in town,” Sean said.

“She enjoyed talking to each and every one of them.

“It made me think of how many memories Mum would have in her 100 years.

“We must sit down and talk about them and write them down, she has so many stories to tell and share later on,” said Sean.

Dacia certainly lives a good life.

“For her 90th birthday she went on the back of my motorcycle and I took her to Dorrigo for a ride and she loved it; she was always game to do anything.”

Sean is a long-time member of the Motorcycle Restorers Club of Coffs Harbour.

Dacia was born in Jersey on the Channel Islands.

At the age of sixteen during World War II, as a citizen of Jersey, she was part of the German occupation of the island.

“One story that she told us, out of many, was when a German officer knocked on the door and asked Dacia if he could talk to her mother.

“He said to her mother, ‘I believe you have a piano and I would ask you if I may please play it’.

“He played beautifully and came many times to play.

“He said to her mother that he wasn’t interested in war, he just wanted his music,” said Sean.

After World War II ended Dacia moved to England and became a dental nurse before migrating again to South Africa.

“She continued working as a dental nurse and met my father and had us two boys, me and Michael.”

In 1963 the family immigrated to Australia and settled in Sydney where they lived for many years.

Dacia continued working in dentistry, this time in a convent where she was Mother Dental Nurse.

She also cooked for the twelve nuns in the convent.

“She would always help anyone if she could and loved people, and being with people, and everyone loved her.”

She volunteered at the local op shop for many years, “which is something she really enjoyed”, as well as reading, cooking and crochet.

“Sadly, our father died from cancer in 1986 and mum lived alone for a long time before moving to Glenreagh in 2012.

“She bought a house a few kilometres from me and lived happily in Glenreagh for about eight years.

“In that time, she met a wonderful local man called Ian and a love affair blossomed.”

Eventually Dacia started having a few falls and finally she decided to move into an aged care home in Coffs Harbour.

Her family has multiplied from her two sons, now including two grandchildren and five great grandchildren.

By Andrea FERRARI